Female political prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison protested the execution of Reza Rasaei. The prison guards raided the women’s ward and brutally beat the political prisoners, resulting in injuries to some inmates. One prisoner’s condition is concerning. As of the evening of Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the situation in the women’s ward of Evin Prison remains tense.
Midday Protest and Sloganeering
Around noon on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, female political prisoners in Evin Prison protested the execution of political prisoner Reza Rasaei by chanting slogans. Earlier that morning, Reza Rasaei was executed in Dieselabad Prison, Kermanshah.
Reza Rasaei was a 34-year-old Kurdish citizen and follower of the Yarsan faith from Sahneh in Kermanshah province who had been arrested and detained during the 2022 nationwide Iran uprising.
Coordinated Protests and Hunger Strike Campaign
The protest by the female political prisoners in Evin coincided with the “Tuesdays Against Execution” campaign and a hunger strike by prisoners in 18 prisons nationwide. They chanted slogans such as “Death to the Dictator” and “Death to the Executioner Regime” against the death penalty.
Escalation and Guard Violence
During their protest, the female political prisoners broke the door to the ward’s guard office. Following this, several security guards were dispatched to suppress the prisoners, leading to a clash between the inmates and the guards. Several female political prisoners were injured and taken to the prison infirmary, though their names and numbers are not known.
Formation of a Security Committee
Additional reports indicate that a security committee has been formed in the prison, with the possibility of punitive transfers or exile of some prisoners to other locations. All telephone contacts between female political prisoners and the outside world have been cut off, and they are not even allowed to contact their families.
