TEHRAN: Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi urged 17 political prisoners to end a hunger strike which reportedly started 12 days ago over their treatment by jailors, his website said on Friday.
The group jailed in Tehran’s Evin prison after last year’s disputed presidential election include reformist journalists and leading student activists, opposition websites said.
Mousavi, who has led an anti-government campaign since the June 2009 poll, praised the hunger strikers for their "resistance" and "standing up for humane and legitimate demands."
"Your message has been heard inside the country and abroad. People are worried about your health and we want you all to end your hunger strike," Mousavi said in a statement carried by his Kaleme.com website.
"We also urge prison officials to respect all prisoners’ rights in accordance with the existing flawed law and not to disgrace the country further in the eyes of other nations," he added.
Reports on opposition websites said the hunger strike had been triggered by an argument between some prisoners and wardens over the treatment of their families who had come for a visit on July 26.
Some prisoners were protesting after being transferred to solitary confinement and others joined in, Kaleme and Rahesabz.net said on Monday.
They said several have been taken to hospital and warned that others’ "condition is worsening."
The hunger strikers have been in jail since they were rounded up after protests that followed the 2009 vote which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected amid allegations of widespread fraud.
The authorities heavily cracked down on critics, detaining scores of journalists, rights activists and reformist politicians.
Many of them have been sentenced to varying jail terms on charges of harming national security and provoking unrest. At least 10 have also been given death sentences.
Several prisoners detained in connection with the protests have reportedly embarked on hunger strikes at various times in the past year, among them acclaimed film director Jafar Panahi, with demands ranging from immediate release to access to lawyers.
Panahi was released on bail in May after three months in detention and several days on hunger strike.
