Isa Saharkhiz, a well-known veteran Iranian journalist who has been in Evin prison for 8 months, says Iran’s Supreme Leader ayatollah Khamenei is personally responsible for the massive oppression that Iran is undergoing since the presidential election of June 12th, 2009. Saharkhiz announced he would start a hunger strike to protest against his arrest.
Saharkhiz’s son Mehdi, who is living in NY, quoted his father in an interview with RoozOnline as saying that he was jailed because of his criticism of ayatollah Khamenei’s leadership. When his wife shortly visited him in jail, Saharkhiz told her that he intends to go on a hunger strike as a protest against the terrible conditions in Evin prison.
Saharkhiz has been in solitary confinement for the largest part of his detention. After having spent some time in a bigger cel with other prisoners, he has been placed in solitary confinement again, probably because of his refusal to give a false confession.