Forough Taghipour, a political prisoner held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, is facing a newly opened judicial case and the imposition of severe communication restrictions. The measures come amid reports of escalating security pressure on political detainees aimed at forcing them into silence and compliance.
New Charges Filed During Ongoing Imprisonment
Forough Taghipour was recently served with an official notice informing her of a new judicial case initiated against her while she remains incarcerated. The notice requires her to appear via video conference on February 22 before Branch 2 of the Prosecutor’s Office in District 33, known as “Moghaddas,” for interrogation on the charge of “propaganda against the state within prison.”
The filing of new charges against Forough Taghipour during her existing sentence in Evin Prison is widely viewed as a familiar tactic used by Iranian authorities to prolong judicial pressure and construct successive cases against political prisoners. Such practices effectively extend punitive measures beyond initial convictions, reinforcing a cycle of legal harassment.
Denial of Family Contact as Psychological Pressure
Simultaneously, on February 17, prison officials informed Forough Taghipour that she would be barred from telephone calls and in-person family visits for one month. Authorities reportedly justified the measure by accusing her of “spreading false information.”
The restriction, issued as a disciplinary committee sanction and set to take effect on February 21, further isolates the detainee from external contact. The suspension of communication between political prisoners and their families has long been documented as a method of psychological coercion—intended to intensify isolation, suppress the flow of information from prison facilities, and increase pressure on detainees to refrain from public or political expression.
The combined use of new judicial proceedings and communication bans underscores broader concerns about due process, proportionality of punishment, and the treatment of political prisoners within Iran’s penal system.
Who is Forough Taghipour?
Forough Taghipour, 31, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and has been serving a five-year sentence in Evin Prison since August 2023. She was initially sentenced to 15 years on charges of baghy-e (armed rebellion) and alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), but the sentence was reduced on appeal.
She had been previously arrested in February 2020 on charges of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the state,” receiving a five-year sentence that she served until February 2023. Only months after her release, she was arrested again in August 2023 and is currently held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
