Neglected Health Leads to Death of Zahedan Prisoner, Report

Iranwire – 52-year-old Qader Gorgij, a resident of Zahedan, died on April 21, while incarcerated at the Zahedan Central Prison.

Human rights groups said his death resulted from a lack of adequate medical attention and delays in transferring him to a hospital for proper treatment.

According to a report from the Hengaw human rights organization, Gorgij had been imprisoned for two years, six months, and 22 days without a clear explanation for his detention. 

Despite his deteriorating health, including documented heart disease and high blood pressure, prison authorities reportedly denied his family’s requests to transfer him to a specialized medical facility.

Sources close to the case said Gorgij’s health deteriorated significantly before he was finally moved to the prison clinic in critical condition. 

At least 32 inmates died within the confines of the Islamic Republic’s prisons last year, according to Hengaw. Nine of them were political prisoners. 

Torture was the reason behind the reported death of at least 11 inmates.

Other fatalities were caused by delayed medical treatment or denial of healthcare, fighting between inmates, suicides, and suspected poisonings.

As many as 60 percent of those who died in prisons were Kurds.