Kurdish Female Prisoner Sews Lips In Hunger Strike Protest

In a protest against her confinement, Soheila Mohammadi, an Iranian political prisoner, has embarked on a hunger strike by sewing her lips together.

Norway-based human rights group, Hengaw, reported that Mohammadi, a resident of Salmas city in the western Azarbaijan province, initiated her hunger strike within the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison on Saturday. Mohammadi's protest aims to draw attention to her situation and the conditions faced by herself and fellow inmates.

Despite serving three years of her five-year sentence, Mohammadi has been denied the right to parole and leave. An informed source quoted by Hengaw disclosed that even her request for a meeting with the prosecutor has been obstructed by the prison authorities.

This is not the first time Mohammadi has resorted to drastic measures. Earlier this year, she was reported to have attempted suicide due to the pressures exerted by government security institutions, which hindered her chances of being granted leave.

Mohammadi's arrest dates back to the autumn of 2020 when she was apprehended by intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Salmas. Following several months of interrogation, she was transferred to the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison. She was subsequently sentenced to a five-year imprisonment term on charges of "membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)" by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia.

Mohammadi's case highlights the mounting pressure on Kurdish civil groups and activists, particularly in the wake of the recent "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests. These demonstrations have drawn increased attention to the plight of Kurdish individuals and groups advocating for their rights and freedoms within Iran.