Prisoners in Iran are faced with numerous rights violations and mistreatment. Prisoners who have difficulty accessing even healthcare and food are unable to pay their bail and be released due to the economic crisis deepening alongside the war. Shahrokh Tavakoli, editor of Prisoners' Voice, speaking about the situation of prisoners, stated that the living conditions of prisoners are deteriorating with each passing day.

 

Emphasizing that the regime's mistreatment of prisoners continues, Tavakoli said that in prisons, criminal prisoners in particular are forced to work in heavy manual labor. Tavakoli emphasized that the regime presents this as offering income and rehabilitation opportunities, but exploits prisoners by paying them no wages whatsoever.

 

'THE SITUATION OF WOMEN IS WORSE'

 

Stating that the situation of women prisoners is worse, Tavakoli said that in a report they received from Yazd Central Prison regarding the mass protests in January, women are being held in very poor conditions.

 

Tavakoli said: "Extreme overcrowding, the absence of ventilation systems, hygiene deficiencies and health problems are just some of these. In addition to these deficiencies, there are also serious legal irregularities and corruption in the cases of these women. Many women have been deprived of their basic rights and have not been allowed to hire lawyers."

 

Emphasizing that Iranian women have come to the fore more prominently in a leadership role in recent times, Tavakoli said that for this reason the regime acts with a particular hostility toward women.

 

Recalling that Zehra Taberi, a 68-year-old electrical engineer, was sentenced to death for the second time on the alleged grounds of connections to the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) organization, Tavakoli said the hearing lasted less than 10 minutes and that Zehra Taberi, who attended the court via video conference, could not even access her lawyer. Emphasizing that Kurdish women activists Pexşan Azîzî and Werîşe Muradî are also at risk of execution, Tavakoli also recalled the ban on phone visits for women prisoners in Evin Prison. He said: "Face-to-face visits have also been suspended due to the war, and these punishments are deepening the isolation further."

 

Stating that prisoners in Iran can be released on bail, Tavakoli said that due to widespread poverty these amounts cannot be paid and prisoners therefore remain in prison for long periods in a state of uncertainty. He said that the said poor conditions had previously been raised, but that the current state of war has made the situation even worse.

 

'HEALTHCARE HAS GROUND TO A HALT'

 

Stating that many people arrested during the January protests are being held in Ward 3 of Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, Tavakoli said the detainees are being deprived of basic human rights and cannot access healthcare following the torture they suffered during interrogations. Tavakoli added: "They are being held in extremely overcrowded and inhumane conditions without the necessary healthcare and living conditions being provided. Ward 37, which holds approximately 200 prisoners, has no cooling system, temperatures are extreme, and water is cut off for most of the day. Prison authorities are forcing prisoners to purchase water brought in by tanker."

 

Stating that many prisons lack healthcare services, Tavakoli said referral possibilities are extremely limited, prisoners who have to wait months in queues must also cover their own treatment costs. Stating that the healthcare system has ground to a halt due to the war, Tavakoli said diseases that could have been easily treated have reached irreversible stages due to conditions.

 

Tavakoli provided the following information regarding some ill prisoners and who lost their lives due to illness: 

 

"*Political prisoner Leyla Afarin, held in Evin Prison, suffers from a brain tumor and joint diseases, yet after a brief hospital referral she was sent back to prison without receiving the necessary specialist treatment. 

 

*Political prisoner Hoccet Al-Muhammedi, held in Shiban Prison, is being denied access to treatment despite his family having issued repeated warnings about his health condition. 

 

*Political prisoner Motalleb Ahmediyan, held in Evin Prison, was sent back to prison after lengthy treatment and operations. Delays in his treatment have led to the progression of his illness. 

 

*Javad Melaverdihani was taken into custody while wounded during the protests, was not referred to hospital, and lost his life because he was not treated. 

 

*Political prisoner Abdulhadi Shahouzahi, held in Zahedan Prison, is unable to access healthcare despite being in urgent need of specialist treatment. 

 

*Azadeh (Masoumeh) Yakoubi, held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, has been unable to access necessary treatment for more than four months despite serious health problems. 

 

*Mehdi Kabizadeh, 47, was arrested at the Ahvaz protests, his health deteriorated and he was hospitalized. He lost his life due to inadequate treatment. 

 

*Hamid Shahbakhsh was wounded in Zahedan by gunfire from security forces, was taken into custody, and lost his life as a result of his injuries. 

 

*Hamid Reza Shirazi was shot and wounded at the protests, but under pressure from security forces only had his wound sutured without the bullet being removed, and lost his life shortly after being taken into custody."

 

'PRE-DETERMINED SENTENCES ARE BEING HANDED DOWN'

 

Emphasizing that thousands of prisoners in Iran are at risk of execution and that the trials are a sham, Tavakoli said that prisoners are prevented from accessing a lawyer of their choosing and that many are unable to attend their hearings. Stating that the files of those acquitted in general courts are sent to "Revolutionary Courts," Tavakoli said prisoners are sentenced to death in these courts, and that in these cases, where only state-approved lawyers conduct the defense, "the process has become the announcement of pre-determined decisions rather than a genuine trial."

 

Stating that the regime is trying to resolve its existential crisis through executions and repression, Tavakoli said that ethnic minorities such as Kurds and Baloch are also under intense pressure, with new detentions, home raids, and the targeting of former political prisoners and their families occurring every day. 

 

Noting that the aim is to silence the opposition by creating fear in society, Tavakoli added: "The families of those who lost their lives in the January protests are also facing severe pressure. Many families were not given permission to hold funeral ceremonies; burial procedures took place at night under the supervision of security forces. On the seventh and fortieth day commemorations, cemeteries were raided, participants were detained, and the ceremonies were dispersed. These practices are an indication of the fear the regime harbors toward society."

 

MA / Berivan Kutlu