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Hunger strike woman at US embassy is 'dangerously ill'
Emma Rowley14.08.09
A woman on hunger strike outside the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square is "dangerously ill" today after she stopped drinking water.
Fatemeh Khezrie is one of 10 people refusing to eat in a plea for international action to help her sister and thousands of other Iranian dissidents housed in a camp in Iraq.
The businesswoman from Kensington was already weakened by 18 days without food and is deteriorating rapidly after yesterday deciding to stop taking on any liquid.
About 3,500 people live at Camp Ashraf, which was set up near Baghdad in the Eighties to house opponents of the Iranian regime.
Iraqi security forces entered the camp to take control on 28 July, leaving at least eight dead and hundreds injured according to Amnesty International.
Mrs Khezrie, 44, who came to Britain in the early Eighties, said she had not heard from her sister Farzaneh, who lives at Ashraf, for weeks.
Slurring her words, she said: "I'm dizzy but I don't want anything until I have some news from Ashraf."
A fellow protester, Soudabeh Heidari, 19, was treated in hospital this week but has rejoined the hunger strikers.
Reader views (8)
Firstly, we tolerate such protests because we live in a liberal democracy. For you to have such little forebearance of matters which you may perhaps be in disagreement with, is just as illiberal and dogmatic as the regimes which these people feel the need to protest about!
Secondly, they are not protesteing "against" our government so get your facts straight before you condemn their actions.
I greatly admire these people for what they're doing, lets not forget that without the strength of character that these individuals are demonstrating and without their ability to rise up and stand against autocracy, just like many others before them throughout history that has paved the way for human progress, you would certainly not be able to enjoy any of the freedoms you most probably take for granted.
- Mona, London
Lb, Bromley:
Protesting is and, I believe, is a fundamental human right. Without protesting, we would still be living in an autocracy, with virtually no rights.
This woman's protest is non-violent. Would you prefer her to voice her protest by employing terrorist tactics?
- Ross, London, UK
The West, particularly US and Uk, have interfered with Arab and Iranian destinies since WW1 not least because of the oil. As Noam Chomsky wisely said, "If they grew cabbages instead of oil, we wouldn't know they existed."
Yes, we are responsible for much of the discord because of the insane partitians of their countries, outright thievery of their oil, and most certainly for the plight of this woman and her relatives.
- Skip Waterhouse, la pointe, wi. USA
They feel they have to take these drastic measures to bring attention to the massacre that has taken place and may yet recur in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. The US administration and the West in general has refused to acknowledge what has happened really, and I think many want to ignore/forget what has happened. These ten are on hunger strike as a way of protest, to say "do not ignore what is going on, act now, or else more blood will be on your hands", particularly to the US.
The Iranian dissidents in Iraq are also on hunger strike, and there are over three thousand of them. The hunger strikers in the West are in solidarity with those in Iraq.
I hope for everyones sakes that the West does not continue to ignore this crime against humanity. The hunger strikers are reaching a critical point in their fasts.
- Hoda, London, UK
This is all because of Nuri Maleki Iraqi incompetence Prime Minister who is puppet of Iranian regime. The Iraqis have stop any essentials entering camp Ashraf, for a while now. After all these crime committed by Iraqis, they still do not let camp Ashraf resident to bury their dead. These crimes are so unbelievable, something unheard of in the history of mankind. Residents of camp Ashraf are also on hunger strike. I hope and wish the hunger strikers reach their goals.
- Issac, London
The US was responsible for their protection but they just ignored it and handed over to the Iraqis who are friends with the Iranian regime.
- Mehrdad, London
Why do we tolerate all these idiots demonstrating in
this country about overseas troubles? Iranians, Tamils,
Palestinians, Pakistanis, etc, etc... If you're so concerned about
what's happening in your homelands, clear-off back there!
Would Brits be allowed to demonstrate in Tehran or
Sri Lanka against our government?
- Lb, Bromley
I´ve lost the plot here. How is a hunger strike outside the US embassy going to help Iranian dissidents in Iraq?
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
