Mashhad, Northeastern Iran – A group of women political prisoners in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, have gone on a hunger strike to protest inhumane restrictions and systematic pressure. The strike began on Thursday, December 5, 2024, after severe limitations were imposed on the women held in Ward 6 of the facility.
According to reports, prison authorities abruptly locked the ward doors without explanation, cutting off the prisoners’ access to basic necessities. The women have been denied entry to essential prison facilities, including the medical clinic, kitchen, store, the exercise room, and educational workshops. These actions have escalated tensions and led the detainees to take collective action by refusing food.
Four women are currently held in Ward 6 of Vakilabad Prison, including Farzaneh Ghareh Hassanlou, a political prisoner whose case has drawn significant concern. Despite the harsh conditions they face, these prisoners have received little to no media coverage or support from human rights organizations.
The detainees are reportedly subjected to relentless psychological pressure by the prison’s security officials. This includes creating internal divisions among prisoners, making false promises of pardon or clemency, and even fabricating new charges against them within the prison system.
Ward 6 of Vakilabad Prison is described as an overcrowded and poorly equipped section that exacerbates the physical and mental toll on its inmates. Denying access to essential services is viewed as a form of both psychological and physical torture, further deteriorating the prisoners’ already fragile health.
The hunger strike highlights the systemic mistreatment of political prisoners in Iran, particularly women, who are often targeted for their activism and dissent against the Iranian regime.
