Gilan Street Advocates Issue Statement in Support of Younes Azadbar and Warn of His Critical Health Condition in Lakan Prison

11/12/2025

“Street Advocates of Gilan” have issued a statement expressing serious concern over the health and safety of Younes Azadbar, a retired citizen and a well-known figure in Gilan’s grassroots advocacy movement.

Azadbar, who has been living for years with a battery-operated heart and must take fourteen medications daily to survive, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht on Monday, December 8, 2025, to begin serving his 15-month prison sentence.

The statement emphasizes that any medical negligence or delay in proper care could directly endanger his life. The group holds judicial authorities, Lakan Prison officials, and all affiliated security bodies fully responsible for any harm that may occur to Azadbar during his imprisonment.

In the declaration, Gilan’s advocates describe Younes Azadbar as one of the most steadfast and informed civil resistance figures in the province—someone who, for more than four decades, has stood against authoritarianism, defended fundamental rights, and kept the flame of freedom alive despite pressure, threats, and punitive measures.

They argue that charges such as “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the leadership” may imprison his body but cannot silence the spirit of justice-seeking and freedom he represents.

The statement also reaffirms the necessity of legal, humane, and fair treatment toward Azadbar and all civic, labor, religious, and political activists. According to the advocates, his name will remain etched in the collective memory of the people of Gilan as a symbol of awareness, responsibility, and the pursuit of justice.

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