MASHHAD, Iran — An imprisoned mother, Ameneh Bayraghdari, has suffered a severe nervous breakdown inside the notorious Vakilabad Prison, and her physical condition is critical.
On June 9, 2026, the 61-year-old political prisoner from Fariman suffered a psychological collapse after receiving devastating family news. She learned that her husband suffered a stroke following her recent arrest and has been in a coma for months. Simultaneously, she was informed that her son is battling bone marrow cancer.
Ameneh Bayraghdari was arrested for the second time on May 2, 2026. For a mother whose husband is in a coma and whose son is fighting terminal cancer, continued imprisonment and the denial of her right to be with her ailing loved ones has created an intolerable psychological toll.
Who is Ameneh Bayraghdari?
- A 61-year-old mother of four, Ameneh Bayraghdari is a long-time political activist who has faced years of systematic persecution by the Iranian regime’s intelligence apparatus.
- Prior Imprisonment: She was previously arrested in 2017, spending more than 200 days behind bars in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison.
- Violent Raid in 2024: In December 2024, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence agents violently raided her home in Fariman. Regime agents assaulted and beat family members before arresting Ameneh, her son (Iman Anbaii Farimani), and one of her daughters. While her daughter was released that night, Ameneh and her son were transferred to an IRGC detention center in Mashhad.
- Torture and Isolation: Both mother and son were subjected to severe mental and physical pressure during interrogation. Following their transfer to Vakilabad Prison, they were denied all phone calls and family visits for 70 days.
- Temporary Release and Re-arrest: She was temporarily released in spring 2025 on a heavy bail of 4 billion tomans. However, the misogynistic regime re-arrested her in May 2026, sending her back to prison despite her family’s dire medical crisis.
