Baktash Abtin, who had been in a coma battling Covid-19, has died, the Iranian Writers’ Association said on Saturday.
The poet, author and filmmaker had been in hospital in Tehran hospital after contracting Covid-19 at Evin prison, where he was serving a six-year sentence.
He had been charged with “propagating against the regime” and other offences.
Abtin, 48, was placed in an induced coma after his condition worsened.
His supporters have accused the authorities of delaying his transfer from jail to hospital for 10 days.
Abtin was on the board of the Iranian Writers’ Association, which has been banned since the 1980s but has continued to campaign against censorship.
Abtin had infected lungs and was transferred from Evin prison to hospital last month, but condition began to deteriorate last week.
Iranian rights groups published a photograph of him in a hospital bed and wearing an oxygen mask.
Abtin, Reza Khandan Mahabadi and Keyvan Bajan served on the board of the IWA and were joint authors of a book about the history of the group, which has been critical of successive Iranian governments for decades.
They were also punished for organising memorial ceremonies for members who had been killed by the state in the 1990s.
Dozens of writers from around the world, including Margaret Atwood, Orhan Pamuk and JM Coetzee, signed a letter to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in October calling for the three men’s release.
All three men had been ill since being jailed but had been denied medical treatment, campaigners said.
“The suffering he [Abtin] has suffered this month is a direct result of the actions of the government and the prison guards,” the IWA said on Twitter last week.
A group of Evin political prisoners has blamed the prison and judicial authorities for turning a “treatable and preventable” medical case into a matter of life and death.
The group, whose supporters posted the statement, blamed the authorities for delaying medical leave and not sending sick prisoners to hospital quickly enough.
The Centre for Human Rights in Iran, which is based in the US, said at least 11 writers are either currently in jail in Iran or have been convicted.
All have been punished for “practising and advocating freedom of speech”, it said.
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
