Interview originally aired on Voice of America | July 25, 2010

Translation SIAVOSH JALILI

In a letter addressed to the internal director of Rajai Shahr prison and international organizations, political prisoner Reza Joushan announced a hunger strike in protest to the deprivation of his civil and human rights. According to Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran, Joushan fell into a coma on his sixth day of hunger strike and was transferred to the prison clinic in Rajai Shahr. Joushan’s sister spoke to VOA before he fell into a coma.

Reza Joushan began his hunger strike on July 21, 2010. Zahra Asadpour, Reza Joushan’s mother, is also imprisoned in the women’s ward of Rajai Shahr prison. Previously, Asadpour spent 16 months in jail along with her daughter Fatemeh Joushan for visiting her son in Camp Ashraf (PMOI camp located in Iraq). After her release, she was detained again six months after. Reza Joushan was arrested on November 30, 2009 and was sentenced to two years in prison on the charge of “acting against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”, and “cooperation with the PMOI”.

Reza Joushan’s sister Fatehmeh Joushan, who currently resides in Turkey, described her brother’s ordeal in prison to VOA correspondent Farideh Rahbar.

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This attempts to reduce hostility among the Left for Western war plans against Iran. It says the government are dictators, so when Western governments verbally attack the Iranian government, the Left will be sympathetic to the West. If there is war, some members of the Left will not protest against the war or indeed, may see the war as a war of liberation.

As for those arrested by the government, do we know whether they are Western agents?

than apologists for tyranny?

I'm sure the US does use war propaganda to increase support and reduce opposition to a potential future war against Iran, but that doesn't mean to say that Iran isn't an oppressive regime, or that there aren't people in Iran deserving of our support.

If anything, grassroots action against oppression in Iran would *reduce* the support for a war, since it would be clear that achievements can be made by non-military means.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and think the sun shines out of the Iranian regime's collective arses just because you hate the US regime.

Anyway, how do we know *you* aren't a secret agent for the Iranian government trying to apologise for their dirty work? ;-)

I would rather support an 'Iranian tyranny' than support a move to a conflict that could lead to global, nuclear war.

Am I supposed to think there is a coincidence between this campaign starting off and a push for war against Iran? Let's not forget the demonisation of Saddam Hussein and his regime to justify war.

I think Fidel Castro has a better grasp of world events that the 'useful idiots' on this subject. Did he mention that Iran was a tyranny?

by pointing out those concentration camp thingies. It'll just give that nasty Mr Chamberlain an excuse to go to war.

August 7, 2010

Students at Amirkabir University released a statement to announce that they will launch a hunger strike on August 8th in solidarity with the political prisoner currently on hunger strike in Evin prison.

The following is the English translation of the statement:

Translation and editing by NEGAR IRANI and Persian2English.com

We salute and praise your perseverance & tenacity that has made life bitter for the ruling powers. We salute and praise the students who have once again proven that the university is alive in Evin prison. We salute and praise the journalists whose prose has become even stronger behind bars. We praise and salute the honorable Green thinkers of our nation.

In honor of the resilience and resistance demonstrated by our cherished loved ones, in particular our dear Majid Tavakoli and his colleagues, we will join them in a hunger strike that will begin on Sunday August 8th. We will continue our hunger strike in solidarity with the prisoners for as long as it takes. We call all Green students and Green citizens in Iran to join us and do everything in their power to support the prisoners of conscience who are on hunger strike now for 13 days.

The Green Students at Amir Kabir University

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