In solidarity with prisoners of conscience in Iran, particularly with retired Concordia University professor Homa Hoodfar, deputy for Québec solidaire Amir Khadir started a 48-hour hunger strike on Friday.
Born in Iran, Homa Hoodfar has lived in Montreal for 30 years. According to her family, she traveled to Iran in early February to visit relatives and conduct archival research in the parliamentary library of Tehran. She was arrested June 6 and incarcerated in Evin prison in Tehran. Charges were brought against her, though their exact nature is not known.
In an interview with La Presse Canadienne, Khadir underlined that political prisoners are often forced to resort to hunger strikes to gain their basic human rights, sometimes up to 48 days, which is why the 48-hour strike is symbolic.
Solidarity Network members for human rights in Iran will take similar action in Vancouver, Calgary, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Fresno and in five European cities including Paris and Hamburg.
Khadir invites Canadians and Quebec leaders to throw their weigh behind the initiative to force the release of Hoodfar, and believes that business leaders here, like Bombardier, also have a role to play with authorities in the countries where they do business.
Beginning Friday evening, the symbolic hunger strike will continue until Sunday at 6 p.m.
