Iranian Surgeon Faces Death Penalty Charge for Treating Protesters
The Iranian surgeon Alireza Golchini, who studied in London, has been arrested and reportedly charged with 'moharebeh' – waging war against God – a crime that can carry the death penalty. The arrest is part of what human rights groups describe as a campaign of revenge against medical professionals who treated injured anti-regime protesters.
Violent Arrest and Grave Charges
According to his cousin, Nima Golchini, based in Canada, the 52-year-old surgeon from Qazvin was violently taken from his home on 10 January. "He was arrested in a violent manner in front of his wife and son, who is only 11. They beat him up so badly during arrest, they broke his arm, ribs and dragged him out of his home," Nima told the Guardian. The arrest followed a social media post where Golchini, who also treated protesters during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, shared his contact details and offered medical assistance to the injured.
The Norway-based rights group Hengaw reported the charge, prompting the US State Department to call for his immediate release. "All he did was his duty of saving lives as a medical doctor. He had sworn to save people's lives. How can any doctor not stand by his oath?" said his cousin, expressing fear for Golchini and other detained healthcare workers.
Systematic Crackdown on Medical Networks
Golchini is one of at least nine doctors and healthcare volunteers arrested in the past week, according to rights organisations and medical sources. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported that security forces have raided makeshift medical shelters and the homes of doctors and volunteers who provided care to protesters injured during the regime's brutal crackdown.
Hossein Raeesi, an Iranian human rights lawyer in exile, stated: "This appears to be a deliberate revenge campaign against doctors and medical staff who refuse to abandon the wounded." IHRNGO also documented the arrest of a volunteer first responder who had turned his home into a medical shelter, caring for over 20 injured protesters, two of whom later died. A source described the arrest as extremely brutal, with security forces severely beating the volunteer, smashing windows, destroying the interior, and damaging his car.
Broader Context of Repression
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has provided reliable figures during previous crackdowns, reports it has verified more than 6,000 deaths and is investigating over 17,000 more. At least 42,324 arrests have been made across the country, with limited information on the detainees' fate.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHRNGO, condemned the actions, stating: "This persecution of medical personnel is yet another dimension of the regime's crimes against humanity." The regime is accused of pressuring medical networks to reduce support for the injured and suppress dissent.
Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on Golchini's detention or confirmed any charges. However, Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has urged authorities not to show leniency towards protesters, emphasising that those who disrupt security should not be tolerated.
International Calls for Action
In a statement published on X, the US State Department demanded the release of Golchini and "all the brave doctors who have helped their fellow countrymen." The statement referenced President Trump's clear position against executions in Iran, warning of consequences if such actions are taken. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, highlighting the grave risks faced by healthcare workers fulfilling their ethical duties amidst the ongoing political turmoil.
