A family member of a political prisoner at Evin prison told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that 15 political prisoners have been moved from the prison’s General Ward to solitary confinement. Among those transferred is journalist Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, who is currently on a hunger strike. According to the same source, six more prisoners have gone on hunger strike.  The prisoners’ reason for the hunger strike is the “unsuitable treatment of prisoners and their families by prison authorities and Ward 350 officers on visitation days; lack of health and welfare facilities; as well as suspension of visitation privileges of several prisoners such as Bahman Ahadi Amouee.” The source told the Campaign that he is certain 15 prisoners were transferred to solitary cells of Ward 240 at Evin Prison.

Ahmadi Amouee has been on a hunger strike since last Saturday and the other six prisoners have started their hunger strike after protesting the current conditions. The names of the 15 transferred prisoners are not yet published, but the list includes political prisoners such as Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, Majid Dorri, Majid Tavakoli, Kouhyar Goudarzi, and Kayvan Samimi.

“The fifteen political prisoners who were transferred to Ward 240′s solitary cells have announced that if their demands are not met and they are not returned to the General Ward, they will all go on hunger strike,” Kaleme website wrote, reporting the news of the transfer and the hunger strike. “All telephone lines in the entire Ward 350 of Evin Prison have been cut off since the day before Imam Mahdi’s Birthday Holiday (27 July 2010),” according to the same source.