Though he was often hailed as a reformer in the lead-up to his election as Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani’s performance since his inauguration has not brought about a new era of openness in Iran. Despite the continued threat of repression, a number of Iranians showed their solidarity with political prisoners in the notorious Evin Prison by shaving their heads.

Writing in The Jerusalem Post, Benjamin Weinthal reports that the protest was prompted by reports of beatings of political prisoners, injuring at least thirty and sending four to the hospital.

In response to the violence, Iranians launched a shaved head protest. “Activists both inside and outside the country are posting their photos on a Facebook page titled ‘With the Political Prisoners of Evin’s Section 350,’” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Wednesday.

Prompting the creative action was a photograph of human rights lawyer Abdolfatah Soltani that showed him last week with a shaved head. He was held in Ward 350 and reported to have been a victim of the assault.

A protest was held outside of Rouhani’s office on Friday.

The Jerusalem Post observes that reports of human rights abuses “remain an Achilles’ heel for Rouhani.” The government compounds the problem by responding “in a hypersensitive way to criticism,” instead of addressing the issues directly.

In addition to political reforms, Rouhani’s election was supposed to also bring about economic reforms for the citizenry. Despite a growing economy, a recent call by Rouhani for Iranians to forgo government subsidies was widely reject by the populace.

A recent letter smuggled out of Evin described the beatings in detail.

[Photo: سبزفوتو Iran / Flickr ]