Akbar Ganji, the Iranian journalist, activist and dissident is no stranger to hunger strikes – he refused food for 80 days during his six-year incarceration for the 'crime' of daring to speak out against the repression of human rights in his home country.
The same cannot be said for the BBC's London headquarters at Bush House, which is unlikely to have housed any employees disgruntled enough to warrant a hunger strike. That changed today, however, as Ganji came to London to launch a campaign for international solidarity with other Iranian political prisoners of conscience, by launching a three day hunger strike outside the corporation's HQ.
Ganji has been on a month-long tour of Europe, with the result that activists in Germany, France and the US as well as the UK will be joining his hunger strike to try and pile pressure on the hard-line regime in Tehran.
Despite the obvious difficulties in trying to bring about political change in a country like Iran Ganji, true to form, is confident about the prospects for change. He said:
"Change in Iran is possible, and it is something that we can do ourselves; we have hopes and expectations that we will receive support from [western] civil society and institutions."
His confidence in the ability of Iranians, particularly the youth, to effect political change in their country is matched only by his vehemence that it is a task that falls to them – not to the international community. He sees the role of the west as being "to condemn the violations of human rights that they see… and to offer moral support."
One of Ganji's 'moral' supporters - you may have heard of him - George W. Bush, has announced that his government is to provide $75m in funding for the Iranian opposition movement. Bush (through his press spokesman) had called for Ganji's release while he was on hunger strike and gravely ill in Iran's Evin prison, where his friends are now being held. Ganji, however, scoffed when asked about taking money from the US to fund opposition to Tehran, and uttered something in Farsi that you did not need to speak the language to understand. His translator gave me a wry smile and said diplomatically, "no Iranian can accept this."
Ganji's slight frame, which looked emaciated in the photos that were smuggled out to the world during his hunger strike, appears to have recovered. His beard has been trimmed into a more presentable style than it was when he emerged from prison and he displays no visible consequences from his 80 days refusing food. He says his health is good at the moment, and he is confident he will recover totally over the long term.
The activists who have come out to join him on the launch of his latest hunger strike have all been infected by his confidence, if somewhat overwhelmed by his presence. Mostafa, a 19-year-old Iranian living in London who works with the Iran Democratic Party beamed: "this time last year, my friends and I were protesting outside the Iranian embassy demanding that they release Ganji. Now, a year later, we are standing here with him, protesting together!" He still has good reason to protest - five members of his organisation are in prison in Iran right now, for smuggling information out of the country and 'defaming' the government.
Ganji's associates that I spoke to repeated the claim made in London's Independent newspaper, that his biggest worry now was assassination rather than imprisonment. I asked him finally, was he not afraid of the consequences of such open defiance of the regime? Was he worried about being returned to prison? Did he share his associates concerns about being assassinated?
"Ha! No."
Ganji flies to New York tomorrow, where he will continue his hunger strike in front of the Iranian mission to the United Nations.
