Reports received from the women’s ward of Evin Prison indicate a dangerously escalating health and medical crisis affecting female political prisoners. The situation marked by the spread of serious illnesses, systematic denial of medical care, and severely unsanitary living conditions, poses an immediate threat to the lives of detainees, particularly elderly prisoners and those suffering from chronic or serious diseases.
Approximately 60 women political prisoners are currently held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Inmates report widespread contamination of corridors and rooms, along with the constant presence of rodents and insects. The number of rats alone is estimated at around 100 and continues to increase.
Accumulated waste, the absence of regular cleaning, and extremely poor hygiene standards have significantly increased the risk of infectious diseases in an already unsafe environment. The situation has become even more threatening given the systemic and widespread deprivation of access to medical care and essential medications.
Following an earlier report published on International Human Rights Day that highlighted the critical health conditions of several female political prisoners, including Fatemeh Ziaii, Shiva Esmaili, and Marzieh Farsi, further investigations reveal that the physical condition of additional prisoners is also deeply concerning.
Zahra Safaei, who suffers from heart disease and has two stents, has not undergone any medical examination for over seven months and is experiencing severe cardiac pain.
Elaheh Fouladi suffers from acute knee problems, including a large mass, a torn meniscus, and spinal canal stenosis, resulting in constant pain, yet no effective treatment process has been reported.
Tahereh Nouri is affected by sleep apnea and endures severe physical weakness.
Forough Taghipour is suffering from severe anemia; poor nutrition and the lack of adequate food supplies, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are identified as contributing factors to her condition.
Taken together, these conditions present a deeply alarming picture of systematic violations of the right to health and medical care for female political prisoners in Evin Prison, a situation that demands immediate intervention by relevant international institutions to hold the clerical regime accountable and attend to the situation of prisoners, especially political prisoners in Iran.
