Farhad Meysami
Farhad Meysami is a civil and women’s rights defender, teacher and medical doctor. He has been in detention since 31 July 2018, when he was arrested for his involvement with “Girls of Enghelab Street”— a series of protests against the compulsory hijab in Iran. He was convicted on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system”, “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security” and “insulting Islamic sanctities”. In December 2018, he was handed down a five year prison sentence, a one year restriction on his civil and political rights and a two year travel ban by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. During his imprisonment, Meysami has led protests against the restriction of prisoners’ rights.
On 26 May 2022, after being transferred back to Rajaie Shahr prison the day before, human rights defender Farhad Meysami ended his hunger strike due to the deteroriation of his health condition. The human rights defender had been on hunger strike since 7 May 2022 to urge the Iranian authorities to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic and disaster medicine doctor, who was convicted of espionage for a hostile government and sentenced to death.
On 26 May 2022, Farhad Meysami informed his lawyer that he will discontinue his hunger strike, as the judicial authorities have officially announced that they are considering an appeal by Ahmadreza Djalali’s lawyers to delay his execution which was scheduled for 21 May 2022.
