The family of Mohsen Dokmehchi, an Iranian political prisoner, has staged a sit-in at the hospital where he passed away in a bid to retrieve his remains.
Iranian human rights groups report that Dokmehchi, a Tehran Bazaar merchant who was arrested during the post-election protests of 2009, died from pancreatic cancer on March 28. He had been serving a 10-year prison sentence.
Dokmehchi was accused of supporting the dissident group People’s Mojahedin Organization, because his daughter lives at Ashraf Camp, where the group’s base is located in Iraq. He was also accused of lending financial support to other families of political prisoners.
Human rights sources claim that Mohsen Dokmehchi died “due to a lack of medical care and the decline of his physical health.”
In addition to the absence of medical care, there are reports that he was treated harshly by prison authorities and visits from his family were kept short.
By the time he was transferred to hospital, his fellow inmates report, he had been unable to eat for several weeks, and towards the end, he was even unable to swallow liquids.
His wife, Maryam Alangi, visited him at the hospital before his death and said he appeared to be in stable condition.
Dokmehchi’s remains are now at the coroner’s office for an autopsy.
