Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian opposition, has called for urgent action to save political prisoners from certain death and investigate the conditions inside Iran’s prisons, especially with regard to the status of women.
In Qarchak Prison of Varamin, female political prisoners are in grave danger; not only because of the dire sanitary conditions that put them at more risk of the coronavirus and other illnesses but also because they are harassed by dangerous criminals hired by the Intelligence Ministry.
Sanitation
For five days, as of writing, the toilet drains have not worked in the prison, meaning that the smell of sewage is overpowering, and the authorities are refusing to do anything to fix this.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that many prisoners are infected with the coronavirus, prisoners are not being supplied with cleaning equipment – either for themselves or the wards – and have to buy them at a markup. Prison doctors have essentially jumped ship; visiting once every two or three months. The cost of dental care is so much that young girls are having to have teeth pulled, rather than getting fillings or other care.
Attacks
Qarchak’s prison warden recently ordered that dangerous criminals be incarcerated on the political prisoners’ ward to brutalize the peaceful inmates, which has placed Forough Taqipour, Parastoo Mo’ ini, and Zahra Safaei in severe danger. Safaei received death threats on June 13 from hired inmates.
The regime used the same tactic in 2019 to assassinate political prisoner Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali.
Drugs
The prison authorities also distribute drugs like Tramadol and Methadone in Qarchak Prison to ensure that prisoners develop an addiction, which will stop them from protesting.
It’s not just in Qarchak Prison either, Evin political prisoner Fatemeh Mosanna lost consciousness on August 19 due to fever (and probably coronavirus) and was transferred to Taleghani Hospital. Her children were not allowed to visit.
Mosanna and her husband Hassan Sadeghi are serving 15 years in prison on the charge of “waging war on God and disobedience” for supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Their properties, including their house and shop, were confiscated.
Mrs. Rajavi urged the UN Secretary-General, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Council, relevant special rapporteurs, and other international women’s and human rights groups to act immediately to save the lives of female political prisoners. She said that it was imperative to launch an international fact-finding mission to visit prisons and prisoners.
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