Kurdish journalist and human rights defender Mihemed Sediq Kebudwend, who is imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran/Iran, is being threatened by his bad medical condition.

Journalist Mihemed Sediq Kebudwend, who is among the founders of East Kurdistan Human Rights Organization (KMMK), is not allowed for treatment in Evin Prison he is imprisoned in.

Deteriorating his health day by day, Kebudwend is not allowed for treatment by the Security Ministery and Tehran Prosecutor Abas Ceiferi Doletabad. Suffering from heart failure, Kebudwend also has embolism. During his imprisonment, Kebudwend has had at least two times heart attack.

While the poor conditions in prison have started to threaten Kebudwend’s medical condition, doctors say that the journalist must be treated outside the prison. His family also applied to the court a number of times for a treatment outside, but couldn’t obtain any result. At a previous statement, RMMK stated that the Iran regime is responsible for Kebudwend’s life and demanded his liberation.

Mihemed Sediq Kebudwend, the Chairman of RMMK and the Editor of weekly journal Peyame Merdome Kurdistan, whose broadcasting was ceased in early 2004, has also been kept in Evin Prison since 2007 July. On 23 October 2008, Tehran Court of Appeal approved the 11 year-imprisonment of Kebudwend for founding a human rights organization in Kurdistan. Kurdish Journalist Kebudwend was conferred with 2009 foreign journalist prize by British Press Awards for his activities in human rights areas.

Translation: Berna Ozgencil