The tragic death of dissident Iranian poet, Baktash Abtin
The Iranian poet and film maker Baktash Abtin, who died (January 8th) after contracting Covid-19 in jail, was buried last week (January 9th). He was 48 years old and imprisoned for assembly and collusion against national security. Human rights activists inside and outside Iran say he died because of the inhumane prison system in Iran. He is the second political prisoner to die in 2022. Mr Abtin was being treated at a private medical facility when he died. Newshour spoke to Fatemeh Shams, herself a poet and assistant professor of Modern Persian Literature at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
(Photo: Baktash Abtin. Credit: Centre for Human Rights in Iran)
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