Political prisoners decry treatment of women at Evin

     Twenty-six political prisoners at Iran's Rejaishahr Prison have issued a statement

that condemns the recent attack at Evin Prison's women's ward and calls for an end to the mistreatment of prisoners.

The Kaleme opposition website reports that the statement speaks out against the "inhumane and illegal treatment" of prisoners and expresses grave concern for the health of the female prisoners who have begun a hunger strike after they were forcefully subjected to unprecedented inspections and body searches last week.   The statement calls on the public to join their protest against such treatment and calls on government officials to prevent such events from happening again.   Last Tuesday, the prison guard personnel protection unit raided the women's political prisoners ward and searched and inspected their cells, reportedly subjecting them to insults and harassment.   Following the episode, 9 prisoners in the women's section began a hunger strike to protest such mistreatments, demanding an official apology and assurances that such actions will not be repeated.   Source: Radio Zamaneh