Arash Sadeghi facts for kids

Arash Sadeghi (Persian: آرش صادقی, born September 29, 1986) is an Iranian activist. An activist is someone who works to bring about social or political change. He is known for speaking up for human rights.

Sadeghi was a student at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran. He was asked to leave the university because of his political activities. He has been arrested several times for his activism.

Sadeghi once went on a hunger strike for 71 days. This was a protest against his wife being held in prison without clear legal reasons. He stopped his hunger strike when his wife was temporarily released. He was released from prison on May 1, 2021. However, he was arrested again on October 12, 2022, during the Mahsa Amini protests.

Standing Up for Rights

Arash Sadeghi was first arrested on July 9, 2009. This happened after the results of the Iranian presidential election, 2009 were announced. He was held for 90 days before being released. He was arrested again in December of the same year.

In 2013, he was given a long prison sentence. This was for charges like speaking out against the government. He was also accused of threatening national security.

Hunger Strike for His Wife

Sadeghi started a hunger strike on October 24, 2016. He did this to protest the arrest of his wife, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee. She was arrested because of a story she had written in her personal diary. This story was not even published. Government agents found it during a search of their home.

Many people around the world became aware of his situation. There were several campaigns to share information about his health.

Family Impact

During an earlier search by Iranian security forces in 2010, Arash Sadeghi was not home. His mother was present during the search. She became very ill during this event. Sadly, she passed away a few days later in the hospital.

Health Concerns

Arash Sadeghi has been diagnosed with a bone tumor. Human rights groups have criticized Iranian authorities. They say that officials have not followed medical advice. Doctors recommended he be moved to a special hospital for cancer treatment.

Sadeghi had pain in his shoulder for many months. The prison clinic gave him pain medicine. Later, he had X-rays and an MRI scan.

On May 10, 2021, it was reported that he had been released from prison. This happened on May 1, 2021. His release was due to a new law from May 2020. This law reduced prison sentences for some political prisoners.

Repeated Hunger Strikes

Sadeghi has gone on hunger strike several times. Doctors believe these strikes have caused problems with his kidneys and stomach.

Social Media Support

On the 68th day of one of his hunger strikes, Iranian Twitter users started a big campaign. They wanted to raise awareness about Arash Sadeghi's serious health. Because of this, the hashtag #SaveArash became the top trending topic on Twitter.

Latest Arrest

Arash Sadeghi was arrested again on October 12, 2022. This happened during the Mahsa Amini protests. His father, Hossein Sadeghi, shared the news on his Twitter account. He simply wrote: "Arash Sadeghi was arrested." Sadeghi later called his family. He told them he was taken to ward 209 of Evin Prison. This part of the prison is run by the government's Ministry of Intelligence.

See also

• Human rights in Iran
• Detainees of the Mahsa Amini protests