The accuracy of the letter published by Kalameh on behalf of 15 Iranian prisoners who went on hunger strike

The accuracy of the letter published by Kalameh on behalf of 15 Iranian prisoners who went on hunger strike

 Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 5:09pm

 

There were a lot of doubts on the accuracy and the reliability of the news source regarding the subject letter in which the 15 prisoners announced to have ended their hunger strike explaining their reasons as follows:

".... We end our hunger strike now out of respect for the great supporter of the Green Movement, Mir Hossein Moussavi, and other prominent individuals…,”

Some questioned the reliability of the source of the letter. Some shed doubts on how were the prisoners informed of the message of Moussavi asking them to break their hunger strike and how all of them together coordinated the response.  Some critics of Mousavi jumped at the opportunity to claim that it was all a propaganda launched by Moussavi to attribute support for himself from the political prisoners who are now the nations heros.

To my pleasure recent news from Iran confirm that the prisoners did end their hunger strike as described by Kalameh and their statement was accurately published. These news indicate that the latter criticism was yet another petty attempt to throw mud on Moussavi.

I just read an article by Jila Baniyaghoob that could shed light on the above legittimate and illegitimate doubts that I translate and report for my friends as follows:

Latest News from Evin prisoners who'd gone on hunger strike
(From Jila Baniyaghoob)
Sunday 22 August 2010

Finally after not getting any news for a month from Bahman, I managed to get some news about Bahman and other prisoners who went on hunger strike, through more direct and fully reliable source, a friend who was recently released from prison, .

This newly released prisoner, told me: "All hunger strikers, when got back to ward 350 had a great spiriti though they were physically weak. Among the hunger strikers, Bahman (Ahmad Amoui), Abdollah Momeni and Keyvan Samimi who'd returned later to th ward, looked slimmer and weaker than the others but their spirits were strong all the same. Keyvan Samimi hadn't broken his hunger strike until the moment of entry to the general ward and his frinds in ward 350 brought him a glass of milk to offer him a drink and have him break his strike. When hunger strikers returned to the general ward, their inmates in ward 350 wanted to give them all the recent news about this period including how their hunger strike was reflected in the society and the messages of the leaders of the green movement and other green supporters when the prisoners who'd just returned from solitary confinement told them "hey guys, where have you been? we know all about it and it was because of the very same messages that we broke our hunger strike".

One of the persons who was present and was listening to what this newly realeased prisoner was saying asked him "First of all, how did you in the general ward get all these news? Secondly how did those who were in solitary confinement were informed about these news?"

And he replied laughing: "do you expect me to tell you how? Its better to keep these channels secure for the prisoners".

I asked about the bad conditions of ward 350 and he said: These are not important. What's important is that all prisoners spirits are high and I mean very high.

I asked again: Are all prisoners really with a good spirit? He said: The spirits are excellent... excellent!  

And because I honestly believe this dear friend I now I have no doubt that all prisoners spirits are high and strong and that makes me very happy because today.

source: http://www.zhila.org/spip.php?article305