Poor Prison Conditions Cause Infection for Detained Student Activist

Reports from Iran indicate prison conditions are deteriorating for Ali Bikas, a member of the Student Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners. Ali Bikas has contracted a gum and mouth infection after enduring severe pressures in an unhygienic prison environment. He requires immediate medical treatment outside of Evin prison.

Ali Bikas was arrested by security forces on June 14, 2009, two days after the Iranian presidential election. He was issued a seven-year prison sentence by branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. Ali Bikas does not have permission for parole and he is currently waiting on the decision of the appeals court.

According to the Student Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners, Ali Bikas has requested a [temporary] prison leave to receive medical treatment. However, since he has been issued a seven-year prison sentence, a prison leave is not possible. The limited access to medical care in ward 350 has caused Ali Bikasi’s health to deteriorate and there is a fear that he may face irreversible [health] conditions. Ali Bikas’s parents are extremely worried and have requested urgent action to be taken for their son to receive medical treatment.

Ali Bikas is a journalist and holds a PhD in History. He is one of the leaders in the student movement in Tabriz. On July 9, 1999, the same day of the dormitory attacks [at the University of Tehran], Ali Bikas [helped] organized a protest at the University of Tabriz. Currently he faces increased pressure for his active involvement in aiding lesser-known political prisoners and for his membership in the Student Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners.

During the Ministry of Intelligence interrogation sessions, the [interrogators] accused Ali Bikas of being a Monafeghin (hypocrite) [the derogatory term used to refer to the Mujahedin Khalgh Organization].

Despite the severe pressures in prison, Ali Bikas has high hopes that his request to the appeals court will be accepted. The Student Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners demands the immediate release of Ali Bikas. The organization has committed no crimes and has only defended human rights