Statement From 12 Evin Hunger Strikers Announcing An End To Their Hunger Strike

In an statement published by Kalame, the 12 Evin political prisoner hunger strikers announced, they ended their hunger strike on Sunday night June 26, 2011.

No doubt that this does not mean an end to our protest to the human rights violations and the atrocities that have occurred. The Green people of Iran will continue their protest until full individual and social rights and freedoms are achieved

Their statement reads:

The Honorable Nation Of Iran,

The pain and sorrow that was caused by the death of martyr Hoda Saber was unbearable for all of his cellmates. Hunger strike was the only action that we could think of to protest this unfortunate tragedy. The exact same action that Saber himself took in protesting the wrongful death of Hale Sahabi.

On the one hand, our hunger strike was our only response to the calling of our conscious and to the fulfillment of our moral obligation as Saber’s cellmates, and on the other hand it was our outcry and rage against the injustice perpetrated on Hoda Saber and Haleh Sahabi before him. The two pious Moslem citizens that lost their lives trying to achieve their ideals.

Hunger strike was our collective action against imprudence, arrogance and institutionalized lying by our ruling faction.

We, twelve of ward 350 political prisoners launched a hunger strike on June 18, 2011 with the hopes that our voice is heard by all and with the hopes that it becomes an obstacle before the ruling faction’s continued human rights violations.

During the course of our hunger strike, many of our ward 350 cellmates voiced their desire to join in the hunger strike, many went on a fast, and many refused to eat their scheduled meals in a show of support for us.

Our cellmates’ support was an encouragement to us and was proof that we had taken the correct action and we thank them immensely for their support.

The treatment that we received from the judiciary officials during our hunger strike and during our summation to Court, only showed clear lack of responsibility, lack of accountability and an inefficient judicial system.

Dear Countrymen,

Another positive aspect of our hunger strike was the broad and wide support that we received from the people and the civil society. These reactions were just as valuable and important as was our hunger strike and a true indication that the people’s Green Movement is alive and dynamic in nature.

The massive wave of support that we received shows that the conscience of our nation is effected and is troubled by the injustice that is happening to our political prisoners. It showed that the political prisoners human rights violations and demand for their freedom is still top priority of the people of our nation.

We find it necessary to thank all of our supporters, specially the Sahabi family, Saber family, Shamekhi family, the grand ayatollahs, the religious figures, political and national parties, activists, human rights activists and organizations, the news media, journalists, attorneys and the physicians that sent us messages of support and encouragement and voiced their concerns about our health.

We also would like to greatly thank our friends in Rejaei Shahr prison for their support. We would like to also thank our own families who have always given us their support and we thank those who supported us from abroad.

In response to all the before mentioned supporters, we the hunger strikers announce that we ended our hunger strike on Sunday night June 26, 2011.

No doubt that this does not mean an end to our protest to the human rights violations and the atrocities that have occurred. The Green people of Iran will continue their protest until full individual and social rights and freedoms are achieved.

The under signed would also like to thank Emadeddin Baghi and Mohamad Javad Mozaffar who were on hunger strike with us before their release from prison.

Signed by:

Bahman Ahmadi Amouei, Abdollah Momeni, Hasan Asadi Zaeidabadi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Emad Bahavar, Ghorban Behzadian Nejad, Mohamad Davari, Khosro Dalirsani, Fayzollah Arab-Sorkhi, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Mehdi Karimian Eghbal and Mohammad Reza Moghayseh.

P.S. Mohamad Javad Mozaffar who was released on furlough to attend his mother’s funeral remained on hunger strike outside the prison but the prisoners in Evin were unaware of this when they wrote their statement.

Source: Kaleme Website