Reyhaneh Ansarinejad, a labor rights activist and political prisoner currently held in Qarchak Prison, was barred from being transferred to Taleghani Hospital for an urgent thyroid ultrasound on Monday, July 21, 2025, due to her refusal to be taken in handcuffs—a condition imposed by prison authorities that many view as degrading and punitive.
Despite her deteriorating health and the necessity of immediate medical attention, Ansarinejad’s transfer was canceled after she objected to being shackled. Prison officials not only blocked the hospital visit but also forced her to sign a formal waiver for medical treatment.
In protest of this inhumane treatment, Ansarinejad has condemned the systematic denial of adequate medical care to women prisoners in Qarchak Prison, highlighting that she continues to suffer from severe pain and numbness in her hand without access to specialized medical services.
Reyhaneh Ansarinejad was transferred to Qarchak prison following the destruction of sections of Evin Prison during an abrupt mass relocation of inmates.
Reyhaneh Ansarinejad has been serving her sentence since November 2023. In August 2023, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to four years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” In addition, she was banned for two years from joining political groups, engaging in media activity, or traveling abroad.
