| Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki حسین رونقی ملکی |
|---|
Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki is an Iranian blogger and political dissident who was imprisoned in 2009 for his role in the post-election riots that erupted in Iran. He also wrote under the pen name Babak Khorramdin.[1]
Contents |
Ronaghi-Maleki was quietly arrested along with his brother Hassan on December 13, 2009 for renewing proxies that allowed journalists and political activists to circumvent the government’s website bans following last year’s contested presidential elections. In jail, Ronaghi-Maleki’s health quickly deteriorated and is in desperate need of an operation in a medical facility outside of prison. He was subjected to torture, as was his brother - who had no role in the protests.[2] He suffers from heart and kidney problems, yet the prison guards have denied him medical assistance. When Ronaghi-Maleki went on a hunger strike to protest his maltreatment and torture, he was placed in solitary confinement.[3][4] Though his brother was released, scarred by beatings, Ronaghi-Maleki remains in Evin prison today. He is under intense pressure to make a televised confession of his alleged wrongdoing. On October 3, Ronaghi-Maleki was handed a 15-year prison sentence. Neither his lawyer nor his family were present for the verdict.[5][6][7][8][9]