Asghar Fathi

Asghar Fathi as the head of the Greater Tehran Prison is responsible for the death of political prisoner Sasan Niknafs due to gross negligence in performing his duties and deliberately refusing to provide proper medical care to this prisoner despite his numerous requests and repeated warnings from his inmates, which eventually led to his death due to severe deterioration of physical condition.

Sasan Niknafs, a political prisoner who was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "insulting the leader," died on June 8, 2021, due to lack of medical care. The prisoner's lawyer told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) about his death: "I was informed from inside the prison that about two days ago he was taken to the prison hospital with bleeding from his nose and mouth.”

Prison officials were well aware of this prisoner’s medical history, including his liver disease, diabetes, and neurosis. A year ago, there were reports of Niknafs not having access to medical services. In its statement, the Prisons Organization, without accepting any responsibility, claimed that Sasan Niknafs's death was due to "taking pills."

Rights Groups Say Iranian Inmate 'Unfit' For Jail Dies in Custody, Radio Free Europe, 08 June 2021

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-prisoner-dies-custody/31296387.html

Iranian prisoner of conscience dies due to lack of medical attention, Iran News Wire, 08 June 2021

https://irannewswire.org/iranian-prisoner-of-conscience-dies/

 Iran Election: Political Prisoners Dying Under Candidate Raisi's Watch, Human Rights Campaign, June 2021

https://iranhumanrights.org/2021/06/iran-election-political-prisoners-dying-under-candidate-raisis-watch/

Asghar Fathi, as the director of the Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafooyeh), has been responsible for violating the rights of the prisoners in this prison by imposing inhumane and degrading conditions on prisoners, including deprivation of basic health facilities or medical care. He also participated in the deliberate harassment of political prisoners, including by forcibly transferring them to wards without basic facilities or to the wards of dangerous prisoners. On October 30, 2020, some of the political prisoners of Fashafooyeh Prison, including a number of prisoners of the November 2019 protests, were transferred from the 5th Ward to the 2nd Ward of this prison, which does not have even the minimum health and sanitary standards and basic facilities. In response to the protest of the prisoners, the prison guard resorted to violence.

According to Fashafooyeh prisoners, in Fathi's prison, prison staff extort money from prisoners for providing any services or for performing their duties according to law.

Transfer of political prisoners from Fashafoyeh to Brigade 2; Several prisoners went on hunger strike, Iranwire, October 30, 2020

https://iranwire.com/fa/features/41655

Prison narratives; We die behind those high walls with no claim, Iran Wire, November 17, 2020

https://iranwire.com/fa/blogs/1149/43195

End of hunger strike; Prison director promises to relocate November protesters in Fashafoyeh, IranWire, October 3, 2020

https://iranwire.com/fa/features/41721

Asghar Fathi, as the director of the Greater Tehran Prison, has been responsible for violating the rights of the prisoners in this prison by imposing inhumane and degrading conditions, including deprivation of basic health facilities or medical care. In August 2015, Abbas Ahoo nbar, one of the detainees in Fashafooyeh Prison, went on a hunger strike to protest the inhumane condition of this prison. Officers beat the prisoner and shaved his head to humiliate him and intimidate others. On the next day 500 prisoners went on hunger strike to protest the ill-treatment of Ahoo Nbar and the unbearable condition of the prison. The Campaign for the Defense of Political Prisoners, citing informed sources, describes the prison as free of gas, severely short of electricity and water, and with an unbearable stench caused by contamination of health facilities.

Transfer of 47 prisoners from Evin to the Central Prison of Greater Tehran, Campaign for the Defense of Political Prisoners, September 23, 2015

https://www.kampain.info/archive/5672.htm

Prison narratives; We live behind those high walls without claim, Iran Wire, November 17, 2016

https://iranwire.com/fa/blogs/1149/43195

Human rights violations in Iranian prisons; 500 prisoners on hunger strike, Saham News, August 2015

https://sahamnews.org/2015/07/287660/