Female prisoner dies in Iran; rights groups blame delayed medical treatment

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DUBAI (Reuters) -A woman jailed in Iran over accusations she had links to a banned political group died in hospital on Thursday, 10 days after falling ill with seizures, and human rights groups blamed the authorities for having failed to provide her timely care.

Authorities in Iran are sensitive to accusations of mistreatment of detainees since the death in custody of a young woman in 2022 sparked the biggest nationwide protests in decades.

The judiciary’s news outlet Mizan said Somayeh Rashidi, 42, had a history of seizures before she fell ill on September 15 and was treated first by prison medical staff and then taken to hospital. It said she had been visited several times by a neurologist and a general practitioner during her detention.

Rashidi was accused of being in contact with the banned opposition Mujahideen-e-Khalq group, and posting videos online of acts of sabotage, including setting fire to bases of the Basij religious militia and entrances to mosques, it said.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency HRANA said that according to hospital doctors, the main factor in Rashidi’s deterioration was a delay in providing her with care.

“Prison authorities didn’t take her condition seriously despite repeated visits to the health centre and even accused her of indulging in drug abuse,” HRANA added.

Rights group Hengaw said prison officers had beaten her and accused her of “malingering” instead of immediately transferring her to the infirmary after her seizure.

Reuters was not able to reach her family or confirm the accounts of her medical history.

(Reporting by Dubai NewsroomEditing by Peter Graff)