I am Mitra Pourshajari, daughter of prisoner of conscience, Mr. Mohammad Reza Pourshajari. His name was included in a note of special procedures communication, dated 25th of November 2014 by the Special Rapporteurs on human rights situation in Iran and 5 other special Rapporteurs. In this communication, it is reported that my father was rearrested 38 days after he was released on 23rd August 2014 serving a four year prison term. He was persecuted on charges of contacting Dr Ahmed Shaheed the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr Persident At his re-arrest, my father was detained in solitary confinement for a month. Four days during this month, he was interrogated and pressured to provide information about Dr Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. Regardless of his arrest, I ask all states in this council to strongly support the renewal of Dr Shahid’s mandate as this is great reassurance for the victims of human rights violations like my father and his cellmates. They feel they are no longer isolated as well as it provides them access to human rights mechanisms to have their voices heard. As with my father, he went on hunger strike to protest against his re-arrest and ill-treatment. After 16 days, he was transferred, unconscious, to a hospital but later sent back to prison without receiving either sufficient medical care or any response to his protest. My father’s health has deteriorated. Last week, he received a court order for one of his alleged charges, namely activities against national security and propaganda against the government. The court sentenced him to one year imprisonment and two years in exile. This sentence was issued despite previous sentences on the same matter that had lead to his initial and earlier four years of imprisonment.
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