Ahmad Batebi Suffers a Second Stroke

In a background of increasing intimidation against student activists, yesterday, jailed student leader Ahmad Batebi suffered a second brain stroke and was taken to the hospital.

Batebi had several seizures on Friday night and was in a coma for a few hours. Yesterday, Batebi had a second brain stroke and was taken to the Evin Prison’s clinic, where doctors began monitoring his condition.
Batebi’s colleagues in prison contacted outside sources to announce that Batebi had a brain stroke on Friday and had spent 3 hours in a coma.
Ahmad Batebi, who was first arrested in the aftermath of the 1999 student uprising, was taken back to jail this summer and lived under deplorable prison conditions. It was reported that prison officials had confiscated and taken away all of Batebi’s personal belongings after his second stroke.

After being discharged from the hospital on Friday, Batebi was first taken to the prison clinic and then to his own cell. But after his second stroke yesterday, he was taken back to the prison clinic. According to his cellmates, Batebi was only half-conscious when he was being transported to the clinic.

Batebi’s doctors believe that he is suffering from numerous physical and mental ailments resulting from harsh prison conditions, and should be treated outside prison.

In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of summons orders issued against student activists, particularly in Sabzevar Tarbiat Moallem, Sanandaj Azad, Tabriz Azad, Mazandaran Technical and Polytechnic universities.

Ali Nikoo Nesbati, who is a member of the central committee of Daftare Tahkim Vahdat [Office of Student Solidary], told Rooz, “In the past month at least 300 students have been summoned to disciplinary committees, and that number has actually increased with the new wave of summoning.”

According to him, in the past 8 months alone 75 University of Tehran students have been summoned to disciplinary committees, which is unprecedented in the history of the university.
Akbar Atri, former member of Daftare Tahkim, told Rooz, “The new administration’s biggest problem is the university, and they have not been able to solve it yet. Contrary to their predictions, students have proved to be much more active and resilient in the past few months. Now, given the background of the people in the Ahmadinejad administration, they will continue to suppress the students; unless the opposition persists and expands, and forces the administration to retreat.”

In Atri’s view, “Because of the country’s situation, there is possibility of a major retreat against foreign pressures. Since they usually feed these things to people as victories for the Revolution, but anticipate large opposition to come from students and student activists, they have already begun to take preventative measures.”