On August 16, 2023, a total of seven women’s rights activists were apprehended individually in Rasht, Fuman, and Bandar Anzali, subsequently being transported to undisclosed locations. The detained individuals include Zahra Dadras, Zohreh Dadras, Negin Rezaie, Matin Yazdani, Frough Saminia, Jelveh Javaheri, and Yasamin Hashdari.
Zahra and Zohreh Dadras were taken into custody by security forces at their residence in Rasht. However, inquiries made by their family members regarding their condition have gone unanswered thus far. Moreover, Frough Saminia, Yasamin Hashdari, and Matin Yazdani, a photographer, have also been apprehended individually within the same city.
The exact motives behind their arrests, their current locations, as well as the nature of the charges against them, all remain undisclosed at present.
Shakiba Yazdani, a 35-year-old resident of Sabzevar, was apprehended and subsequently incarcerated on Monday evening, August 7, following a dispute with a religious vigilante who confronted her about her hijab.
According to a source connected to the citizen’s family, the incident unfolded when an individual, invoking the religious duty of ‘enjoining good’, confronted Yazdani regarding her attire. Both parties attempted to record the encounter. Subsequently, after a span of two weeks, a group of ten intelligence agents affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accompanied by the previously mentioned individual, who was a retired IRGC member, detained Yazdani and transferred her to the Sabzevar security police detention center.
The source also revealed that despite being hospitalized for a heart condition, Yazdani was not granted sufficient medical attention, as security personnel hindered her from receiving necessary care and subsequently returned her to the detention facility. On Tuesday, she was transferred to Sabzevar Prison.
As of now, the specific charges against Yazdani remain undisclosed.
Leila Ziafar, a resident of Tehran, was taken into custody by security forces, her whereabouts undisclosed.
A video of Ziafar’s arrest at her residence was released by media sources affiliated with intelligence institutions. It is believed that she was arrested for voicing her opposition to compulsory hijab regulations on social media.
The location of her detention is still unknown.
The incident sheds light on the increasing legal actions taken by the Iranian regime to enforce the compulsory wearing of the hijab on women in recent months. Concerns over the protection of individual rights and freedom of expression continue to mount as such cases emerge.
The Tehran Criminal Court has issued a two-year sentence, suspended for five years, to acclaimed actress Afsaneh Bayegan for alleged non-compliance with Hijab regulations.
Additionally, Bayegan has been subjected to a travel ban and restrictions on her online activities. The court has also mandated her to provide a summary of a book and attend a psychology institute to obtain a health certificate related to the so-called “Anti-family personality disorder.”
Bayegan had previously informed the public about her summons to court for charges of “acting against chastity and public morality.” Notably, the Tehran Police had recently announced legal action against the actress for not wearing Hijab during a ceremony honoring actor Atila Pesyani.
In recent months, the Iranian regime has escalated legal measures targeting citizens to enforce the compulsory wearing of Hijab on women.
According to a report by Ham-Mihan Newspaper, actress Leila Bolukat has been sentenced to imprisonment by the criminal court of Tehran Province for non-compliance with Hijab regulations.
The court has imposed a ten-month sentence, with six months suspended for five years. Bolukat will serve the remaining sentence in a prison located in Semnan Province. In addition, she faces a five-year ban on media and online social activities, along with a two-year travel ban.
The charges against Bolukat, which were brought in June 2023, include allegations of insulting morality and public decency due to her failure to wear Hijab and the publication of allegedly immodest pictures on social media.
The Criminal Court of Tehran has handed down a verdict sentencing a woman to two months in prison and imposing a two-year travel ban on her for violating the Hijab regulations.
As per the verdict, which gained attention after being shared on social media, the Tehran Criminal Court, under the authority of Judge Ali Omidi, issued a two-month prison sentence and a two-year travel ban against a woman who was found guilty of “publicly not wearing Hijab.” The court classified the act of not wearing Hijab as a manifestation of “antisocial behavior,” mandating the woman to be under treatment and present a health certificate twice a week for a duration of six months.
Furthermore, the court labeled the absence of the Hijab as an act of behavior deemed “anti-Iranian,” justifying the implementation of the travel ban.
Prior to this ruling, Ahmadreza Radan, the chief of Iranian police, had announced an action plan involving the seizure of vehicles and closure of businesses as means to enforce compliance with the Hijab requirement among citizens.
The Sanandaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Shilan Kurdistani to three years and four months in prison.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Shilan Kurdistani, a resident of Sanandaj, was sentenced to imprisonment.
She received seven months for “propaganda against the regime,” and two years and nine months for “membership in the Jivano Women’s association.”
If the verdict is upheld on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, two years of nine months for the second charge will be enforceable.
On October 23, 2022, Kurdistani was arrested by security forces over the nationwide protests and was released on bail after a while.
About the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.
The Sari Revolutionary Court sentenced women’s rights activist Raoofeh Mirbagheri, arrested at the 2022 nationwide protests, to eight months in prison, a ban from leaving the country for two years and additional punishments.
According to the verdict issued by the Sari Revolutionary Court, Mirbagheri received eight months for “propaganda against the regime.” She was also banned from membership in and forming political and civil groups. Some of her belongings were also confiscated.
On October 26, 2022, IRGC intelligence agents arrested Mirbagheri in Tonekabon and transferred her to an undisclosed location. After 32 days of detention, she was released on bail until the end of the legal proceeding.
About the 2022 Nationwide Protests
The arrest of Mahsa Amini by Tehran Morality Police for her improper hejab and her suspicious death on September 16 sparked protests sweeping across Iran. During the nationwide protests, about 19600 people, including journalists, artists, lawyers, teachers, students and civil rights activists, were arrested.
Iran is a country in which women’s rights are severely restricted. Women continue to face numerous challenges and obstacles, and despite the advances made in recent years, women in Iran are still struggling to achieve equality and basic rights. The following statistical information highlights the current situation of women in Iran, which is alarming.
In the reporting period (March 2022 – March 2023), 327 women were arrested for reasons directly related to the suppression of women’s rights. These arrests indicate that the government is cracking down on women’s rights activists and those advocating for gender equality. The arrests serve as a warning to others who may wish to speak out against the oppression of women.
During the protests from Sep 2022 to Mar 2023, at least 3,953 women were arrested, of which 1,019 were identified by Hrana,160 of them were female university students. It is estimated that at least 66 women were killed in Iran during the protests. These numbers show that women are not only being targeted for their activism, but also for their participation in peaceful protests. The arbitrary arrests and detentions of women demonstrate that the government is willing to use excessive force to silence dissent.
In the same period, at least 2,003 women were reprimanded in different ways, including being summoned to police authorities, due to the improper wearing of the hijab. The mandatory hijab law in Iran is a clear violation of women’s rights and freedom of expression. The fact that women are being punished for not adhering to the hijab law indicates that the government is imposing its religious beliefs on its citizens.
At least 15 women and 7 men were killed for “honor” reasons. “Honor” killings are a brutal practice in which women are murdered by their family members for bringing “dishonor” to their family. This practice is not only a violation of women’s rights, but the practice also serves as a grave violation of human rights and the right to life.
In this period, at least 14 female death-row inmates were executed in different prisons and two women received the death penalty.
In the reporting period, 92 cases of closure of guilds and organizations have been reported due to non-observance of hijab by the owner or staff. In this case, 62 reports of discrimination in social environments were reported due to women’s gender. The closure of businesses and organizations due to non-observance of hijab laws is not only discriminatory but also negatively impacts the economic opportunities available to women.
In the same period, 38 cases involving the murder of women and 14 cases of a severe beating, which were rooted in domestic violence, were reported. Domestic violence against women is a pervasive issue in Iran, and it is often considered a private matter. The lack of laws to protect women from domestic violence means that women are vulnerable to abuse and violence from their partners or family members.
At least 12 cases of suicide, 4 of which were self-immolation, were reported due to the lack of guaranteeing equal laws by the government. Things like the difficulty of divorce by women or loss of custody of children were among these reasons. The lack of legal protections for women in Iran makes it difficult for them to escape abusive situations, and the consequences can be fatal.
During the time period covered by this report, poisonous substances were used in organized attacks on schools, which primarily targeted girls’ schools. Since the beginning of December 2022, at least 290 attacks on schools affecting at least 7,060 students have been reported. This number of affected students is exclusive to the 103 schools that have reported data in this regard.
These attacks have been documented in at least 99 cities across 28 provinces. The day with the highest number of recorded attacks was March 3, with 81 attacks.
At the forefront of these attacks are the provinces of Tehran with 33 cases, Qom with 28 cases, Ardabil with 26 cases, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province with 21 cases, and Khuzestan province with 20 cases. As of the time this report was compiled, below is a map depicting the distribution of these attacks.
In conclusion, the situation of women in Iran is dire. It is of note that this report serves as a mere glimpse into the dire situation of women in Iran. Several factors prevent documentation groups from analyzing the full scope of violations committed against women in Iranian society. Urgent action is required to address the issues faced by women in Iran on a daily basis rooted solely in gender-based discrimination codified in both law and practice. The government must take concrete steps to protect women’s rights, end discriminatory laws and practices, and ensure that perpetrators of violence against women are brought to justice. On this International Women’s Day, we must continue to raise awareness of the struggles faced by women in Iran and advocate for their rights and equality.
Currently, 24 women are being held at the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran for political and alleged national security charges. This report provides an updated list of these prisoners along with their latest conditions, including the multiple health issues some are facing due to enduring long-term sentences or being beaten during detention.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, there are 24 women being held for political charges in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran.
During incarceration, they have experienced solitary confinement, frequent interrogation, being charged with new accusations, lack of adequate medical care, and being denied family visitation and phone calls. They have also been co-housed with prisoners who have committed violent crimes.
Among these prisoners, Mahvash Shahriari Sabet, Fariba Kamalabadi, Niloufar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani, Nahid Taghavi and Zahra Zehtabchi, among others, have spent a significant part of their incarceration in solitary confinement.
Many of these inmates are mothers including Zarha Zehtabchi, Narges Mohammadi, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, Maliheh Nazari, Samin Ehsani, and Narges Mansouri.
Since prisoners’ conditions are changing constantly, particularly after the recent mass releases under the “pardon and commute” directive, this report provides an updated list of the political prisoners in this ward.
Bahareh Hedayat
Bahareh Hedayat
Bahareh Hedayat, age 41, is serving her four-year and eight-month sentence. She was arrested and detained several times for her civil activities on June 12, 2006, July 9, 2007, July 13, 2008, and March 21, 2009.
On December 30, 2009, she was arrested again. After a few months of detention in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, she was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison. Next year, she received additional six months for writing an open letter.
By the midwinter of 2016, according to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal code, Hedayat had served out her time. Yet, judicial authorities refused to set her free by ordering her two-year suspended sentence, received in 2007, to be served. She was eventually released from jail on September 4, 2016, after serving six years and six months for all accumulated sentences.
On October 3, 2019, security forces arrested Hedayat amid the 2019–2020 Iranian protests. Subsequently, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to four years and eight months, two years banned from membership in political and civil groups, and penal labor in a nursing home for three months.
Lastly, on October 3, 2022, Hedayat was arrested amid 2022 nationwide protests, and on November 6 was jailed in Evin Prison to start her sentence received in 2019.
Currently, Hedayat is serving the second moths of her prison term. She has been held in solitary confinement for seven months.
Akram Nasirian
Akram Nasirian
On April 29, 2019, security forces arrested Nasirian in Tehran and detained her in solitary confinement under interrogation in Evin Prison for 20 days. In Late May, she was relocated to double cell solitary in this ward.
On May 26, 2019, she was released on 200-million-toman bail until the end of legal proceedings.
On September 4, 2019, along with Nahid Shaghaghi, Nasirian was summoned to the Evin Courthouse investigation office, presided by Judge Nasiripour.
The Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Nasirian and three other women’s rights activists, Asrin Darkaleh, Maryam Mohammadi and Nahid Shaghaghi, each to four years and two months. These verdicts were reduced to two years and three months after the defendants waived their rights to appeal.
In March 2020, Nasirian and three other women’s rights activists were summoned to Evin Courthouse for sentencing, which was postponed until April 3, 2022, due to the Head of Judiciary’s directive to keep health prisons condition in control during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eventually, in August 2022, they were jailed in Evin Prison to start serving their sentences.
Nasirian, 60 years old, a resident of Tehran, is a member of The Call of the Iranian Women NGO.
Sepideh Gholian
Sepideh Gholian
On November 18, 2018, Sepideh Gholian was arrested along with at least 19 others, including members of the Assembly of Representatives of Haft-Tappeh (Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company) workers, and several workers’ activists by Public Security Police in Shush city. She was released on bail after one month.
On January 19, 2019, Iran’s state TV aired a report showing some written statements signed by Gholian and others, including Esmail Bakhshi, and Ali Nejati (a member of the managing board of the labor union representing Haft Tappeh workers), confessing their connection with Marxist anti-regime Groups outside the country.
In response, Bakhshi and Gholian announced that these confessions were extracted under torture during their interrogation by the Ministry of Intelligence agents and other security forces. Both Judiciary and the Ministry of Intelligence dismissed their statements and arrested them just a few hours later.
On October 26, 2019, Gholian was released on bail until the end of legal proceedings. On December 14, 2019, the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced her to five years imprisonment. On June 21, 2020, she was arrested after an appearance at Evin Courthouse and jailed in Evin Prison for sentencing.
On June 21, 2020, Gholian was transferred from Evin to Bushehr Prison in exile, despite her frequent request to be relocated to Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz, where her family lives.
On November 16, 2022, an investigation branch of the Public and Revolutionary prosecutor office in Tehran briefed her on the charges of “spreading falsehood, blasphemy, insulting, slandering, and accusing the government officials.”
Civil rights activist Gholian, age 29, has spent a total of 80 days in solitary confinement. She went three times on a hunger strike while in prison. During her incarceration, many times, she has been denied adequate medical treatment and attacked by prisoners of violent crimes.
Samin Ehsani
Samin Ehsani
On August 17, 2011, Baha’i citizen Samin Ehsani, age 37, a children’s rights activist, was arrested at Evin Courthouse, where she was for resolving some passport issues. After that, security forces raided and searched her house and confiscated some of her belongings, including her computer and materials related to the Baha’i faith.
Ehsani spent her first eleven days of detention in solitary confinement in Ward 2A of Evin Prison and then was relocated to a multiple-occupancy cell in this ward.
She was released on 185-million-toman bail after one month.
On June 9, 2012, Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, sentenced her to five years in prison. On June 15, 2022, she was jailed in Evin prison to begin serving her sentence.
In recent years, Eshani has been engaging in educational activities by holding educational courses for Afghan children who are unable to go to school. On trial, such activities were presented as an example of the charges.
In prison, Ehsani was denied proper medical care after contracting Covid-19. Prison officials refused to dispatch her to the hospital. In total, Ehsani endured 25 days in solitary confinement.
Zahra Zehtabchi
Zahra Zehtabchi
Along with her husband and daughter, Zahra Zehtabchi was arrested on October 16, 2013. She was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin prison after enduring 14 months in solitary confinement in Ward 209. On December 8, 2014, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Salavati, sentenced her to 12 years in prison for “armed insurrection against the regime (Baghi)” and “enmity against God (Moharebeh).” This verdict was reduced to 10 years on appeal by applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code.
After her arrest, her husband Javad Khosh-Niyat was arrested and detained for 22 days following an inquiry about his wife’s condition.
Zehtabchi was arrested and detained for a few days in 2009 while she was surveying people’s opinions on presidential election results on behalf of the University of Tehran.
Zehtabchi, age 53, is a mother of two daughters, aged 17 and 24. She has been on furlough only once for three days in the third year of her sentence.
She is currently spending the ninth year of her sentence. She was held for 14 months in solitary confinement in IRGC’s detention facility known as Ward 2A of Evin Prison.
Narges Mohammadi
Narges Mohammadi
Narges Mohammadi was arrested for the first time in 2002 and released after one week. She received one year in this legal case.
In June 2010, Mohammadi was arrested again and held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Next month, she was released on 100-million-toman bail. Next year, she was sentenced to 11 years for “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” The verdict was reduced to 6 years on appeal.
In 2012, Mohammadi was arrested for starting her six-year sentence. After one month in solitary confinement and four months in Zanjan Prison in exile, she was released due to her disease and penal intolerance. In May 2015, she was rearrested and jailed in the women’s ward of Evin Prison to continue serving her six-year sentence. Moreover, she faced more charges in a new legal case.
In this new legal case, she was sentenced to 16 years for “forming an illegal group known as Legam (a campaign planning steps toward abolishing the death penalty)” and “propaganda against the regime.”
Applying article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code made ten years for one charge enforceable.
Mohammadi, age 46 and a mother of two children, is denied any phone call to her husband living abroad. She suffers from pulmonary embolism and muscular paralysis. On September 29, 2018, she was granted a medical furlough for three days.
On January 12, 2019, she and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe went on a hunger strike in protest against inadequate medical treatment. After two days, they ended their hunger strike following prison officials’ promises.
On May 14, 2019, she was dispatched to a hospital to undergo surgery (hysterectomy- a surgical procedure to remove the uterus). Twelve days later, she was returned to prison although she still needed medical care.
On February 22, 2020, while serving her 16-year sentence, Mohammadi faced two new legal cases. One for “publishing political statements, holding educational classes and sit-down strike in the women’s ward of Evin Prison.” The second case was opened against her following the head of Evin Prison Gholamreza Ziaei’s complaint because he was allegedly accused of “torture and beating” by Mohammadi. In this case, Mohammadi was also accused of “disturbing prison order through singing songs aloud.”
On April 17, 2020, Mohammadi’s lawyer Mahmood Behzadirad informed the public that his client’s request for furlough and release on probation was rejected despite her suffering from mental and physical illness. Moreover, Mohammadi was held in the same with prisoners of violent crimes and had been threatened with death by one of them.
On October 8, 2020, Mohammadi was released from prison after serving five-and-a-half years.
On November 16, 2021, Mohammadi was arrested again during a ceremony honoring Ebrahim Ketabdar, who was killed by security forces in Karaj during the November 2019 protests. Six days later, she was briefed on new charges and then held in solitary confinement in Evil Prison. Thereafter, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison, Varamin.
In January 2022, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to eight years in prison, 74 lashes, two years exile and other social deprivations. Following her refusal not to appeal the conviction, the Revolutionary Court announced this sentence final.
While in prison, she faced a new legal case opened by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. For this case, she received 15 months for “propaganda against the regime and monthly reporting to the police for two years. She was also banned from leaving the country, membership in civil and political groups for two years and doing cleaning service at penal labour in abandoned urban areas for four hours a day for three months.”
On April 12, 2022, prison officials denied her the medicine she had to use on a daily basis. She could receive these medicine only after 20 days.
Mohammadi, age 50, has been subjected to violence many times by prison guards and prisoners of violent crimes. Despite having heart disease, she has been denied medical care and medicine. She was held for a total of five months in solitary confinement.
Sara Ahmadi
Sara Ahmadi
On June 13, 2020, security forces arrested Sara Ahmadi and her spouse Homayoun Zhaveh at their rental vacation lodge in Amol, Mazandaran Province. She was released on 300-million-toman bail from Evin Prison. Zhaveh was released on a bail of 200 million tomans on August 24, 2020.
On November 11, 2020, the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Ahmadi and Zhaveh to 11 and 3 years in prison, respectively.
On October 9, 2020, the Tehran Court of Appeals sentenced Ahmadi to eight years for “running illegal Zionist evangelical Christian groups.” and Zahveh to three years for the same charge. This Christian convert couple was also banned from leaving the country, membership in political parties and civil groups for two years and service work for people with disabilities four hours a day for six months.
On March 19, 2021, they were summoned to Eving courthouse to begin serving their sentences.
Christian convert Sara Ahmadi, age 44, has been held in solitary confinement for 67 days.
Sepideh Kashani
Sepideh Kashani
Environmental activist Speideh (Hamideh) Kashan Doost (Kashani) and seven other activists were arrested by IRGC intelligence agents in January 2018 and taken to Ward 2A of Evin Prison.
In February 2019, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court postponed the court date to next year. In November 2019, this court, headed by Judge Salavati, sentenced Kashani to six years in prison for “collaboration with the hostile U.S. government.” Next months, after enduring 700 days of detention, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to start serving her sentence.
On February 18, 2020, Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals, presided by Judge Ahmad Zargar, upheld the verdict.
Kashani, an environmental activist and an expert at the Parsian Wildlife Institute, age 50, was held in solitary confinement for two years. She spent eight months in solitary confinement in Ward 2A of Evin Prison at IRGC’s disposal. So far, she has been granted two times prison furloughs.
During her incarceration, she has been denied proper medical care, phone calls and visitation.
Niloufar Bayani
Niloufar Bayani
In January 2018, IRGC intelligence agents arrested environmental conservationist Niloufar Bayani, along with other activists, and took them to Ward 2A of Evin Prison, Tehran. During detention, she was subjected to pressure and sexual harassment to make coerced confessions against herself and other co-defendants.
After holding a few court sessions, in February 2019, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court postponed the trial to next year. In November 2019, this court, headed by Judge Salavati, sentenced her to ten years in prison for “collaboration with the hostile U.S. government.”
Next months, after being held in IRGC’s Ward 2A, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to start serving her sentence. The verdict was upheld on appeal.
In the winter of 2020, in an open letter, Bayani revealed that IRGC interrogators tortured her mentally and physically, and sexually harassed her during at least 1200 hours of interrogation. Earlier in April 2019, HRANA had disclosed sexual harassment, torture and threats against the defendants, including Bayani, to extract confessions.
Due to publishing this open letter, she was pressed with new charges on which she was briefed in Evin Courthouse.
Bayani is a former expert at the Parsian Wildlife Institute. Currently, she is serving the fifth year of her sentence in Evin Prison. She has spent two years of her ten-year sentence in Ward 2A, a detention facility at IRGC’s disposal.
Shakila Monfared
Shakila Monfared
On August 31, 2020, security forces arrested Monfared in Tehran while she was leaving her house and took her to an IRGC detention facility.
Nine days later, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after completing interrogation. On September 14, 2020, she was released on bail from Evin Prison.
The branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced her to six years for “propaganda against the regime and blasphemy.” She was also ordered to do penal labor in the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad for four months. Eventually, Branch 36 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court reduced her sentence to four years and two months.
On May 2, 2021, Monfared was transferred from Evin prison to Qarchak Prison in Varamin in exile. After that, she received additional two years and eight months on the charge of “membership in anti-regime groups” and a 10-million-toman fine for “spreading falsehood.”
Following a complaint filed by the Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization for their refusal to be transferred to the court from prison with handcuff, Monfared and 13 other political prisoners faced a new legal case opened by Branch 3 of Evin Courthouse. She was pressed with “disturbing public order and peace, assembly and collusion against the regime, insulting regime officials and disobeying prison officials.”
Monfared, age 29, a resident of Tehran, endured 72 days of solitary confinement. Despite suffering from digestive disease and severe stomach pain, she has been denied adequate medical care. During her incarceration, she was granted furlough only one time.
During this time, Monfared was deprived of visitation and phone calls for two months. She went on a hunger strike and refusal to take medicine to protest against being cohoused with prisoners of violent crimes and lack of medical care.
Fariba Kamalabadi
Fariba Kamalabadi
On May 14, 2008, Kamalabadi was arrested in Tehran and held in solitary confinement for 27 months in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. On August 8, 2010, she went on trial with six other members of a Baha’i group known as the “Yaran e Iran” or “Friends of Iran,” which addressed the spiritual and social needs of the Baha’i community. Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, sentenced her to 20 years in prison. The next day after the trial, she and Mahvash Shahriari Sabet were jailed in exile in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.
In May 2011, Kamalabadi was relocated to Qarchak Prison in Varamin and a week later to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. In 2011, by applying the Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, her sentence was reduced to ten years.
Kamalabadi suffers from lumbar disc disease. However, during her incarceration, she has been granted furlough only once. During the leave, she met Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani causing outcry among the regime’s authorities and media inside Iran.
On October 31, 2017, she was set free from Evin Prison after serving her ten-year sentence.
On July 31, 2022, security forces arrested Kamalabadi and another member of “Yaran e Iran” Mahvash Shahriari Sabet in Tehran. Subsequently, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced each of these Baha’is to 10 years for “running a society of the deviant sect (a terminology used by Iran’s regime to refer to the Baha’is) in the purpose of acting against national security.”
Kamalabadi, age 60, is a resident of Tehran.
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani
Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani
In the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian election protests, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was arrested twice for a few hours on June 20, 2009, and February 20, 2011.
The Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Salavati, sentenced Hashemi Rafsanjani to six months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” She was also banned from membership in political parties and groups, presence in media and civil activities on social media. This verdict was upheld on appeal.
On September 22, 2012, security forces arrested and jailed her in the women’s ward of Evin Prison to begin serving her sentence.
While in prison, she faced a new legal case for her protests against the women’s ward issues. Accused of “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “disturbing prison order,” she was sentenced to three weeks of punitive isolation in Ward 209 and deprived of visitation.
On September 27, 2022, security forces arrested this political activist again in Tehran. She received 15 months for “propaganda against the regime” and 37 months for “blasphemy.”
Hashemi Rafsanjani, born on 7 January 1963, is a former member of the Iranian parliament from 1996 to 2000, and a member of the Executives of Construction Party. She was held for 38 days in solitary confinement.
Fatemeh Mosanna
Fatemeh Mosanna
On January 28, 2013, the Ministry of Intelligence agents arrested Fatemeh Mosanna, age 53, along with her husband, Hassan Sadeghi, and her child. She was held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin prison for 75 days and then relocated to the women’s ward.
On January 13, 2014, she was released on bail. After that, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced the couple each to 15 years in prison on the charges of “armed insurrection against the regime (Baghi)” and “enmity against God (Moharebeh),” through advocating People’s Mojahedin Organization (MEK). The court also ordered the seizure of their shop and house. On September 30, 2015, she was arrested and jailed in the women’s ward of Evin Prison to begin serving her sentence.
Mosanna is the mother of two children who are currently living with their grandmother. Mosanna is deprived of having a furlough despite suffering from intestinal colitis and severe migraine. Since February 2019, she could see her husband, imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison, only three times. The Their last visitation was in May 2019. While other inmates can have visitation regularly, she is allowed visitation only with Amin Vaziri’s permission, an assistant prosecutor overseeing prisoners. This ban violates the rules governing prison visits, entitling prisoners to have family visitation even if they are housed in separate prisons.
In March 2019, the agents of the Execution of Imam Khomeini seized this couple’s shop and then in May 2020, they seized their house.
Despite suffering from sciatic nerve pain, intestinal colitis and severe migraine, many times, Mosanna was denied proper medical care and treatment in a hospital outside the prison.
When Mosanna was only 13 years old, she spent three years in jail with her mother. During this period, her three brothers Ali, Mostafa and Morteza, as well as the wife of one of her brothers, were executed for the charge of “enmity against God” and “advocating for The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran.”
Vida Rabbani
Vida Rabbani
Vida Rabbani, a journalist and member of the Union of Islamic Iran People Party, was arrested several arrests in 2020, 2021 and 2022 over to her participation in protest gatherings regarding some issues in Afghanistan and the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot by IRGC’s missile.
Branch 36 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Rabbani to five years for “blasphemy,” four years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” and eight months for “disturbing in public order.” Moreover, she was banned from civil activities on social media, gatherings and political activities. The verdict is upheld on appeal. Based on the Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, five years for one charge is enforceable.
Amid the 2022 nationwide protests, Rabbani was arrested again and sentenced to six years and 15 months in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”
Rabbani, age 34, was held in solitary confinement for 70 days.
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee
On September 6, 2014, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and her husband Arash Sadeghi were arrested. She was held in an IRGC detention facility A.k.A “Safehouse” and then transferred to IRGC’s Ward 2A, in Evin Prison. After 20 days, she was released on an 800-million-toman bail.
Ebrahimi Iraee and Arash Sadeghi began serving their sentence on October 24, 2016, in Evin Prison. While serving her sentence in prison, she and Atena Daemi faced a new legal case. On April 8, 2019, she was released from prison after serving her sentence. However, she had to provide bail for the second case.
For this new legal case, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her and Daemi to three years and seven months. Moreover, both were banned from membership in political groups and parties. These verdicts were upheld on appeal. According to their lawyer, by applying the Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, two years and one month were enforceable to them.
On November 9, 2019, about ten agents raided her house and arrested Iraee without showing any arrest warrant. They took her to the Evin Judgement enforcement unit to begin serving her sentence in Evin Prison. The head of Evin Prison, Gholamreza Ziaei, refused to house Iraee in Evin Prison. After one day, Amin Vaziri, an assistant prosecutor overseeing prisoners, unlawfully ordered the transfer of Ireaee to Qarchak Prison, Varamin.
Since her incarceration in Qarchak Prison, Iraee has not been allowed to call or meet her spouse, Arash Sadeghi, a civil rights activist imprisoned in Rajai Shahr Prison.
On December 7, 2020, Iraee was summoned to an IRGC detention facility for interrogation. As an inmate serving her sentence, Iraee called this summons against the law and refused to go. Following her refusal, the prison guards beat her and took her forcefully to the detention facility, where she was interrogated for 43 days. After a while, she was transferred to Amol prison in exile. Meanwhile, security agents searched her house.
While she was in Amol prison, in a trial in absentia, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced her to one year for “propaganda against the regime.” She was also banned from leaving the country for two years and from membership in political groups. Throughout the trial, she was denied access to a lawyer.
On May 9, 2022, Iraee was set free from Amol prison. However, she was rearrested violently at her home in Tehran on September 26, 2022. During the arrest, the agents searched her house.
On November 17, 2022, Iraee was briefed on the charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime” at Branch 2 of Evin Courthouse, presided by Judge, Mahmood Haj Moradi.
This political prisoner has been transferred from Qarchak Prison to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. The reason for her relocation is still unknown.
Iraee, age 42, had been held in solitary confinement for 79 days.
Malihe Nazari
Malihe Nazari
On June 30, 2020, security forces arrested Christian convert Malihe Nazari at her home in Tehran and took her to Evin Prison. On July 22, 2020, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison, Varamin.
In early September 2020, she was released on 300-million-toman bail.
On June 7, 2021, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to six years in prison for “forming illegal groups to act against national security, disrupting national security through preaching Evangelical Christianity and creating home churches.”
On August 30, 2022, she was jailed in Evin Prison to begin serving her sentence.
Nazari, age 50, is a mother of two sons, aged 22 and 15. She has been held in solitary confinement for 20 days.
Mahvash Shahriari Sabet
Mahvash Shahriari Sabet
On March 5, 2008, Mahvash Shahriari Sabet was arrested in Mashhad. After enduring 13 months of solitary confinement in Mashhad, she was transferred to Evin Prison, where she was held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 for 27 months. In August 2010, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, sentenced her to 20 years in prison. The next day, she was relocated into exile in Rajai Shahr Prison, Karaj. In April-May 2011, she was relocated to Qarchak Prison in Varamin and the next week, to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
During her incarceration, Shahriari Sabet has been granted a furlough only one time. In 2015, her sentence was reduced to 10 years.
On September 18, 2017, Shahriari Sabet was set free from Evin Prison after serving her ten-year sentence. During the first 20 months of her prolonged detention, she had not any access to a lawyer.
On July 31, 2022, security forces arrested her again and searched her house. Subsequently, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced her to 10 years in prison. Despite suffering from several diseases such as osteoporosis as a result of long-term incarceration, she does not have access to her required medicine. Since November 21, 2022, she has not been allowed to call her family or have visitation.
Nahid Taghavi
Nahid Taghavi
On October 16, 2020, security forces arrested Iranian-German national Nahid Taghavi, age 68, at her home in Tehran and took her to solitary confinement in IRGC’s Ward 2A, in Evin Prison.
After five months, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Since her arrest, she has undergone about 1000 hours of interrogation during 80 sessions.
Many times, under different pretexts, she was sent from the women’s ward to Ward 2A and held in solitary confinement.
Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced her to 10 years and 8 months for “running illegal groups and propaganda against the regime.”
Despite the doctor’s order for back surgery and providing bail by her family, she was denied medical leave, until July 19, 2022, when she was finally dispatched to a hospital. However, despite unfinished treatment, she was sent back forcefully to prison on November 13, 2022.
Taghavi spent, in total, 200 out of her 220 days of incarceration in solitary confinement. During her detention and imprisonment, she has been denied to make a phone call and proper medical care.
Nasrin Javadi Khezri
Nasrin Javadi Khezri
On May 1, 2019, at a protest gathering on International Workers’ Day before the parliament, Nasrin (Azam) Javadi Khezri, along with dozens of protestors, were arrested. 28 days later, she was released on 100-million-toman bail from Qarchak Prison.
Afterwards, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime”, and one year for “disturbing public order.” She was also sentenced to 74 lashes, a ban from using smartphones, and membership in civil/political groups and parties.
The Court of Appeals sentenced her to five years for the first above-mentioned charge. On July 2, 2022, she began serving her sentence in Evin Prison.
Javadi and 13 other political prisoners face a new legal case, following the Prisons Organization’s complaint about these prisoners’ refusal to be handcuffed during the transfer to the court. Branch 3 of Evin Prosecutor’s Office charged them with “disturbing public order, assembly and collusion against the regime, insulting the authorities and contempt of prison officials.”
Javadi, age 65, was held in solitary confinement for 50 days.
Narges Mansouri
Narges Mansouri
On August 12, 2019, security forces arrested Narges Mansouri while she was returning home from work. After 20 days of interrogation and being held in solitary confinement in the Ward 2A of Evin prison, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
Following a three-day hunger strike, Mansouri was sent back to Evin Prison. On November 13, 2019, she was released on 500-million-toman bail until the end of legal proceedings.
In 2022, she was rearrested by security forces.
Mansouri is a civil rights activist and member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company. She, age 46, is a mother of a 12-year-old child.
Mansouri was held for a total of 72 days in solitary confinement.
Maryam Haji Hosseini
Maryam Haji Hosseini
In September 2019, security forces arrested Maryam Haji Hosseini and held her in a detention facility in Tehran for about six months under interrogation. In March 2020, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
On April 22, 2020, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Salavati, held the first court session. Facing multiple charges including “spreading corruption on earth and spying for Israel,” Haji Hosseini was sentenced to death. On appeal, this verdict was commuted to ten years in prison and paying the money received for spying.
Haji Hosseini, age 50, has been held in solitary confinement for 412 days.
Tahereh Bajrovani
Tahereh Bajrovani
On December 21, 2022, security forces arrested Tahereh Bajrovani at her workplace in Tehran and took her to Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
After 33 days, she was relocated to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after 33 days of interrogation.
The reason for her arrest and the allegation against her is still unknown.
Bajrovani’s husband, Ali Fotoohi Koohsare, was killed by regime forces during the 2019–2020 Iranian protests.
Masoumeh (Farah) Nasaji
The Revolutionary Court sentenced Masoumeh Nasaji to five years and four months in prison. The details of her legal case and the charges are still unknown.
Nasaji, age 60, has been held for 48 days in solitary confinement.
Negar Zarei
Negar Zarei, age 31, was sentenced to five years and one month in prison by the Revolutionary Court. The details of her legal case and the charges are still unknown.
She has been held for 21 days in solitary confinement.
