Female relatives of political prisoners held in Greater Tehran Penitentiary (a.k.a. Fashafuyeh) say they are being subjected to “degrading, abusive and unlawful” strip‑searches before visits, prompting collective protests inside the facility.
According to families and inmates who spoke with independent outlets, the victims include mothers, wives, sisters and even under‑age daughters of political prisoners. They describe the searches as “intrusive, humiliating and inconsistent with any basic standard of human dignity.”
In an audio message smuggled from the prison, jailed dissident Mohammad Nourizad recounted an incident in which officers forced a 13‑year‑old girl to remove all her clothing before she was permitted to see her father. “She wept through the entire visit and was too traumatized to speak,” Nourizad said.
Angered by the practice, a group of political prisoners refused to take part in the daily roll‑call and staged a sit‑in in the yard, warning officials they would escalate their protest unless the searches stop and those responsible are held to account.
The wife of one of the political prisoners has also stated that some female guards “combine verbal abuse with unnecessary touching, turning the procedure into a form of sexual humiliation.” The confrontations, she added, have turned the visitation area “into a cauldron of tension.”
The notorious Greater Tehran Penitentiary has long faced criticism for overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure and the routine mistreatment of inmates and their families. The latest allegations add to mounting evidence of systemic violations of citizens’ rights inside the facility.
