Reports from Yazd Prison indicate that political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian, who is currently serving the twentieth year of her life sentence, is in critical physical condition after security authorities blocked her access to specialized medical care. Prison officials have reportedly refused to transfer her to a hospital, citing security concerns and regional conditions as justification.
Severe Symptoms Return Following Incomplete Medical Treatment
Last autumn, after sustaining international pressure, Zeinab Jalalian was finally allowed to undergo uterine fibroid embolization surgery. However, she was forcibly returned to Yazd Prison only 24 hours after the procedure, before completing the necessary recovery period.
According to reports, months of interrupted and inadequate medical follow-up have resulted in serious complications, including continuous bleeding, acute abdominal pain, and severe anemia. Sources say that last week the severity of her condition temporarily left her unable to move.
Despite prison medical staff warning of the possible regrowth of fibroids and emphasizing the urgent need for specialized examinations, including ultrasound imaging and MRI scans, authorities have continued to deny permission for her transfer to outside medical facilities.
“Wartime Conditions” Used to Block Prisoners’ Medical Access
Following the escalation of military tensions in the region, officials at Yazd Prison have reportedly suspended all transfers of ill prisoners to external medical centers under the pretext of “wartime conditions.”
This policy has placed the lives and health of political and ideological prisoners, particularly high-profile detainees such as Jalalian, at serious risk.
UN Special Rapporteurs Express Alarm
The continued obstruction of Jalalian’s medical treatment comes despite previous warnings from United Nations human rights experts. In May 2025, nine UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint statement expressing concern over her prolonged arbitrary detention, as well as allegations of torture and mistreatment against the female political prisoner.
In their statement, the UN experts stressed that “time is of the essence to save her life” and called on Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally ensure her access to adequate medical treatment in an independent civilian hospital. Human rights groups say the Iranian judiciary and security apparatus have so far ignored those appeals.
Who is Zeinab Jalalian?
Zeinab Jalalian was arrested in 2007 and, in 2009, was sentenced to one year in prison for illegal border crossing. Additionally, she was sentenced to death on charges of “enmity against God” for alleged membership in opposition groups. Her death sentence was upheld by the appeals court and the Supreme Court but later commuted to life imprisonment.
She has repeatedly stated that during her detention, she was subjected to severe torture, including being flogged on the soles of her feet, punched in the stomach, having her head slammed against walls, and being threatened with sexual assault.
