Robert Palladino, the deputy spokesperson for the State Department strongly condemned the death of political prisoner Vahid Sayadi on hunger strike in prison and called his arrest “arbitrary”.

In his statement, Palladino expresses deep sadness for the cruel death of Nasiri.

The State Department’s statement condemns the Islamic Republic “with the strongest language possible” for “blatant and increasing violation of human rights” and demands that the Islamic Republic would stop pressuring Iranians who express their opinions peacefully into slow deaths.”

The State Department has also demanded the release of Farhad Maisami, another political prisoner on hunger strike, Nasrin Sotudeh, and other ideological/political prisoners.

The statement, which was published in Persian on the State Department website, says: “Mr. Nasiri went on hunger strike to protest his arbitrary arrest in Qom, where he was not permitted legal counsel, and being kept under inhumane conditions on made up charges such as “insulting the supreme leader.”