Soghra Khodadadi’s Dark Record at Qarchak Prison: From Beatings and Forced Veiling to Medical Deprivation and International Sanctions
Qarchak Prison in Varamin, originally built as an abandoned poultry farm, has become one of the most notorious detention centers for women in Iran. Overcrowding, inhumane conditions, lack of medical care, and the violent conduct of prison authorities have turned it into a symbol of the systemic violation of women’s rights. At the center of this machinery of repression stands the name of Soghra Khodadadi, the prison’s director, who has gained infamy for her role in the abuse and mistreatment of political female detainees.
A Career Marked by Repression
Born in 1971, Soghra Khodadadi graduated from the Applied Science Training Center of Iran’s Prisons Organization in Isfahan in 2017.
In December 2020, she was appointed as the director of Qarchak Prison.
Since then, reports of escalating violence and repression against female inmates—particularly political prisoners—have surged. She is infamous as the “Butcher of Qarchak” for her consistent role in brutal crackdowns.
The Assault on Ward 8: Institutionalized Violence
Only days after Khodadadi assumed office, Qarchak’s security forces raided Ward 8 to forcibly transfer Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee to Evin Prison. Witnesses reported that guards dragged her by the hair across the floor. Political prisoners including Zahra Safaei, Maryam Ebrahimvand, and Forough Taghipour were beaten during the attack and subsequently denied medical care. This violent episode marked the beginning of Khodadadi’s hardline approach towards female detainees.
Forced “Double Hijab” and Gender-Based Discrimination
Under Khodadadi’s leadership, political prisoners were forced to wear the chador, a policy not required by the prison’s own regulations and widely seen as an additional layer of gender-based oppression. This measure, imposed from the very first weeks of her tenure, exemplified her discriminatory practices.
Violation of the Principle of Separation of Prisoners
Khodadadi repeatedly placed political prisoners alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes, putting their safety at risk and subjecting them to intimidation and abuse. In January 2021, Maryam Ebrahimvand was forcibly transferred to the mother’s ward, where she was assaulted. When she protested the move, authorities retaliated by cutting off her phone privileges, isolating her from her family.
Systematic Denial of Medical Care
Perhaps the most alarming charges against Khodadadi involve the systematic denial of medical treatment. Zahra Safaei, a political prisoner with heart disease, was repeatedly refused hospital transfer. Following a heart attack, she was taken to a hospital only after an eight-day delay, shackled to her bed, and denied proper care before being sent back to prison. Such cruelty has become a hallmark of Khodadadi’s administration.
International Outcry and Sanctions
Khodadadi’s record has not gone unnoticed abroad. In December 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned her for directly ordering violent crackdowns on female prisoners, including beatings with batons and electric shocks. The designation underscored her role as a central figure in Iran’s repression of women.
A Symbol of State Repression Against Women
Today, Soghra Khodadadi’s name extends beyond the confines of Qarchak Prison. She has become a symbol of the Iranian regime’s war on women—embodying a system that subjects female prisoners to beatings, forced veiling, denial of medical care, forced labor, and psychological abuse. Under her leadership, Qarchak has not improved; it has solidified its reputation as “the hell of women prisoners” in Iran.
