Human rights groups have expressed concern over the health of hunger-striking Iranian prisoners Behnam Mousivand, civil rights activist, and So’ada Khadirzadeh, a pregnant Kurdish woman.

The United States-based Human Rights Activists' News Agency (HRANA) said Wednesday that Mousivand, a political prisoner who has been on hunger strike for at least two weeks, had "lost a lot of weight, has difficulty speaking, and is in pain and nausea." Tens of Twitter users posted hashtags Wednesday evening demanding his freedom. 

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights had earlier said Mousivand started his hunger strike in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj, April 19 and was transferred to the quarantine ward of Evin prison after about a week.

Amnesty International Tuesday expressed worries over the deteriorating condition of Khadirzadeh, who is eight months pregnant and held in Orumiyeh prison, West Azarbaijan province. Amnesty said that her life at risk due to a denial of specialized medical care, including for heart and kidney problems, although prison doctors last December issued a medical note confirming she required such care outside prison.

Khadirzadeh has been on hunger strike since April 26 to protest her seven-month detention without charge. Following her arrest October 2021 by intelligence officers in Piranshahr, West Azarbaijan province, she said in an audio message from prison that she had been interrogated in an intelligence ministry’s detention center before transfer to the women’s ward of Orumiyeh prison three weeks later.