Committee of Human Rights Reporters – Jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki with gastrointestinal bleeding and in very grave health was transferred to the hospital emergency department today.
According to CHRR, his father reported that Hossein Ronaghi Maleki who is on his 20th day of hunger strike was transferred to Shahid Modarres Hospital today August 28 around 1 pm. This is his second hospital visit in less than a week; a few days ago on August 24th Hossein was transferred to the hospital and was returned behind bars after a few hours.
Hossein Ronaghi’s family shared that they provided all of Hossein’s official medical records detailing his illnesses to the authorities and still medical furlough was denied. Seyed Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki announced that he was again requesting that the Tehran Prosecutor Abas Jafari Dolatabadi either grant prison release or medical furlough for his ailing son Hossein Ronaghi so that he can receive necessary medical care. He added that no matter how many times he has visited and called the prosecutor’s office, he has not been given any answer. Ahmad Ronaghi while expressing his great worry said that if Hossein’s situation continued to be ignored his son would end up losing his life.
Blogger Hossein Ronaghi was detained on December 13, 2009 and was held in solitary confinement for over 10 months and tortured under heavy interrogations. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison stemming from his internet activities. While in prison due to the torture he endured Hossein Ronaghi was inflicted with various illnesses including loss of function in his kidneys along with gastrointestinal, heart and bladder problems.
Hossein Ronaghi launched a hunger strike on August 9 in protest of his situation being ignored by authorities. Zoleikha Mousavi, Hossein’s mother also went on hunger strike on August 20th in support of her son. The judiciary and the prosecutor’s office have so far refused to pay heed to the situation despite Hossein Ronaghi’s very grave health. In the past days, human rights organizations, activists and their families have expressed their grave concern for Ronaghi’s health and asked that the ruling apparatus grant medical furlough. In a letter from Evin prison to the prosecutor, 41 political prisoners expressed their concern and warned about the declining health of the jailed blogger.
If we were to tell you about Don Ramos the 80-year-old champion weightlifter we would leave you inspired instead we are here to tell you about Ramos’ doping scandal which will leave you with your jaw dropped.
The Colorado Springs octogenarian was competing in the Pan American Masters Weightlifting competition when he tested positive for steroids. The Masters circuit is for weightlifters 35-years and older. Ramos had won his age group in the 85kg class. Now the distant second place winner Robert White will claim the title.
The same agency that took down Lance Armstrong, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, made the following announcement this week to send a message to young and old competitors – we intend to clean up sports:
USADA was contracted to test the Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championships, which is an event for athletes 35 and older, in Chicago, Ill. June 14 - June 16, 2013. Ramos, 80, tested positive for the presence of a steroid of exogenous origin as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on June 14, 2013 while he was attempting to set a world record.
Ramos who trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, has earned numerous Gold medals at the World Masters Games and was named Grand Master of the event in Australia in 2009. When he was 76-years he became the oldest man in the world to clean and jerk 100kg in competition.
Ramos can return to the competitive arena when he is 82 in 2015.
An athlete competing in a half-marathon in Ironman’s Brasilia event nearly lost his first place title, all because he started celebrating too early.
Jérémy Jurkiewicz was on his way to a first place finish over the weekend when he began celebrating with those on the sidelines.
Still feet from the finish line however, the Frenchman failed to realized there was a runner coming around the last corner right behind him.
In the video below, you can see Jurkiewicz celebrating, his hands in the air, as Igor Amorelli comes around the corner and makes a dash for the finish line.
Though Amorelli had the opportunity to finish first, Jurkiewicz jumps in front of him and pushes him pack, at which point Amorelli backs off and allows the early-celebrator to finish first.
Committee of Human Rights Reporters – The health of jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi has been rapidly plunging to dangerous levels as he enters his 18th day of hunger strike today and blocked from going to the hospital. His mother Zoleikha Mousavi also embarked on a hunger strike one week ago in support of her ailing son.
According to CHRR, Hossein Ronaghi who was inflicted with kidney disease when he went on hunger strike was taken to the hospital and back to prison two days ago on August 24th with bleeding in his kidneys and gallbladder. Based on the conducted tests at that time, Ronaghi’s kidneys are inflamed and inflicted with hydronephrosis; distention of his ureter on both sides and obstruction in his uterine tract leading to intense pains in his flank area. The bleeding in his kidneys and loss of protein has caused the dangerous plummeting of his health.
There has also been concern for the physical state of Hossein Ronaghi’s mother Zoleikha Mousavi who is on her 7th day of hunger strike. Zoleikha Mousavi who went on hunger strike in the past, suffers from a serious heart condition and high blood pressure.
Hossein Ronaghi, blogger and Internet activist who is one of the founding members of Iran Proxy – a group that bypassed Internet censorship with proxy servers - was violently arrested on December 13, 2009 at his parental home in the city of Melikan and was transferred to Ward 2A in Evin Prison [under control of IRGC]. Hasan Ronaghi Maleki, Hossein’s brother was also detained at that time, was tortured and used as a tool in an attempt to intimidate his brother.
In protest of his mistreatment, Hossein Ronaghi went on hunger strike in May 2010 and when the efforts to follow-up on the part of his family were ignored, his mother also went on hunger strike for 2 weeks demanding to get some answers. In July 2010 Hossein Ronaghi went on hunger strike again lasting 10 days in protest of the extensive pressure and mistreatment by his interrogators. He was subjected to intense psychological abuse and physical torture in efforts to coerce him into making a false televised confession, which he refused.
Hossein Ronaghi was held in solitary confinement in Evin’s Ward 2A which is under the jurisdiction of the IRGC for over 10 months before his trial took place. On December 1, 2010 Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Pir Abassi handed Hossein Ronaghi Maleki a 15-year prison sentence. Among his charges were “membership in Iran Proxy,” “insulting the leadership, and “insulting the Islamic Republic.”
On August 22, 2012 Hossein Ronaghi who had been on medical leave from prison was detained along with his father and brother, Ahmad and Hasan Ronaghi Maleki, and 33 other volunteers and social activists who had gone to the aid of earthquake victims in the province of Azerbaijan. He later received another 2.6 years in prison stemming from charges related to his volunteer work, bringing his total prison term to 17.6 years.
On May 21, 2013 Hossein Ronaghi who had undergone surgery a few weeks prior turned himself in at Evin prison per a summons to return behind bars despite doctor’s orders for recovery in a suitable environment with access to his medical needs.
On Friday August 9, Hossein Ronaghi embarked on a hunger strike in protest of the prisoners’ treatment behind bars and the denial of medical leave for sick prisoners. His visit to Hasheminejad Hospital on August 24 has raised serious concerns about his health. Physicians warned that with his impaired kidney function, hypotension and the recent sharp increase in his heart rate, his health is at great risk and his situation is very dangerous. There is grave concern for the possibility of a heart attack, which with his young age and illnesses could have catastrophic consequences. Despite the dangerous risk to his health his legal right to medical furlough has so far been ignored.
