Five female political prisoners have been transferred from the notorious Qarchak Prison to Evin
Five female political prisoners were transferred from Qarchak Prison to the Evin Prison on Monday, May 1, 2023.
There is no information on the reason for the transfer of the five female political prisoners. It is speculated that considering that all of them are political prisoners detained for their political activities, their transfer to the Evin Prison could signal the adoption of harsher policies towards political activities by the clerical regime in Iran.
Political prisoners in Iran, particularly women, face numerous problems in jail, including unsanitary conditions, lack of access to treatment, lack of access to defense counsel, restriction of their calls and visitations, etc.
The five female political prisoners transferred to Evin on Monday, May 1, were Fatemeh Ziaii Azad (Hoorieh), Elaheh Mohammadi, Niloufar Hamedi, Soha Mortezaii, and Zohreh Sarv.
Fatemeh Ziaii Azad
Political prisoner Fatemeh Ziaii Azad (Hoorieh), a supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), was arrested for the sixth time on September 10, 2022.
Agents of the Intelligence Ministry broke into her residence and took her to Ward 209 in Evin Prison. She was eventually transferred to the notorious Qarchak Prison among ordinary prisoners.
Fatemeh Ziaii Azad is 65 and formerly served five years (1981-1986) on charges of supporting the PMOI and spent time in the Residential Unit, where PMOI women were viciously tortured.
She was also jailed in 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2019.
Fatemeh Ziaii Azad has Multiple sclerosis (MS) and a dire physical condition, requiring urgent medical care. Her two daughters are members of the PMOI/MEK.
Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi
Niloufar Hamedi was arrested by security forces at her home on September 22, 2022, and was transferred to Evin prison. In late December 2022, she was transferred to Qarchak prison in Varamin.
Elaheh Mohammadi was arrested by security forces in Tehran on September 23, 2022, and was transferred to Qarchak prison in Varamin.
Niloufar Hamedi, a photojournalist for Shargh newspaper, took and published the first photo of Mahsa Amini in a coma at the hospital. Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan newspaper, published a report on Mahsa’s funeral and an interview with her father.
Last week, the Judiciary spokesperson, Massoud Setayeshi, announced that the Judiciary had indicted the detained journalists, Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi. The indictments were issued on April 17, 2023, and their case has been referred to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.
Soha Mortezaii
Student activist Soha Mortezaii was serving her six-year sentence in Qarchak Prison. Soha Mortezaii was also arrested on November 21 and taken to prison to serve her time. Ms. Mortezaii was badly brutalized at the time of the arrest. She was a Ph.D. student of political sciences when she was arrested and jailed in 2019. She was later deprived of continuing her education. She had been temporarily released on bail.
Zohreh Sarv
Zohreh Sarv, 37, was arrested on December 24, 2019, by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence agents for allegedly operating in cyberspace and managing an Instagram page. After being transferred to Ward 1A during interrogation and arraignment proceedings, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison on January 11, 2020.
The online activist was sentenced to a fine and 74 lashes on charges of possessing alcoholic beverages. The sentence was handed down by Branch 2 of Tehran’s Criminal Court. Political prisoner Zohreh Sarv was lashed 74 times on April 5, 2021. Before this date, she had been set to pay a fine instead of being lashed. However, after paying the fine and delivering the receipt to the Implementation Division, she discovered that her case had already been closed.
Political prisoner Zohreh Sarv was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on charges of “insulting the leadership, propaganda against the state, assembly, and collusion with the intention of acting against the security of the country.” The appeals Court of Tehran Province made the sentence final to 5 years imprisonment.
