HRANA News Agency – 21st June this year, the propagandist news of the marriage of a prisoner in the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj made headlines in the Iranian media. The head of this Prison, Mohammad Mardani “joyously” expressed his hope for “the increase in such events”. However the reality of marriage in prison away from reporters and their cameras and propagandist media is quite different; “two and half months of hustles and bustles, insulting inspection, proxy marriage without exchange of the rings and strictly with black veil” are only a small corner of the shadow that leaves these new brides in the dark, yearning for a simple wedding.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), the truth about the prison marriages is far from the propagandist news that made headlines on the 21st June of this year.
The head of Rajai Shahr Prison, Mohammad Mardani, “joyously” expressed his hope for “the increase in such events” on the day of the mentioned ceremony.
However the reality of marriage in prison away from reporters, their cameras and propagandist media is quite different.
In an interview with HRANA a young ambitious bride who after two and half months of hustle and bustle in judicial offices and with the prison officials had been able to get married in prison, unveils the truth about the insulting behaviour of officials and how the new brides in these marriages yearn for a simple wedding.
The newly bride told HRANA about the administrative procedures of the prison marriages: “my husband gave attorney from the prison to follow the administrative procedures. The Prison officials had told him that the judiciary needs to sign the documents. In the judiciary they said you have to visit the assistant prosecutor supervising the prison. The assistant prosecutor did not accept at all and kept saying marriage permissions has nothing to do with him. About one and half month I was being passed from one person to another until finally the prison social worker told me that one of the assistant prosecutors of the prison has accepted to sign. Although my husband was eligible for a furlough and have been on furloughs before yet they didn’t accept to give him a furlough. He is a master’s student and studies from the prison and he has received honours for good behaviour in the prison. Anyhow after two and half months of struggling it was time for the marriage in the prison.”

About the wedding ceremony she emphasized: “we thought we are going to have a ceremony just like the one in Rajai Shahr prison which was on the media. But alas… First when entering those accompanying me and I went through physical inspections that were shameful. As the bride-to-be they didn’t even let me to wear white veil. We were told strictly only black veil.  They didn’t let me put the ring on my husband’s hand, and they didn’t even read the marriage sermon/vows. They took power of attorney from both of us that the marriage vows would be read later on our behalf and we just signed. We were there only for 20 minutes. It was the first marriage for both of us, and we deserved the basic customs of marriage yet they were prevented.”
The young bride while expressing that she had been heartbroken and disappointed with the wedding and that her basic rights had been taken from her, added: “they said it themselves, the story of the Rajai Shahr wedding was different because it was on the media and the whole world was watching, it was held that way so that they could paint a rosy picture of Iranian prisons, but the reality is different, it’s all a lie.”