Iranian political prisoner Shiva Esmaeili, who is serving 10 years in Evin Prison, is being denied medical treatment despite suffering from a serious spinal condition and severe back pain.
Doctors determined more than a year ago that spinal surgery was necessary for Shiva Esmaeili. However, Evin Prison authorities and the regime’s judiciary have so far refused to allow her to undergo surgery or continue receiving the medical care she needs.
The severity of her pain has left Esmaeili unable to move normally, and she can perform everyday tasks only with the assistance of fellow prisoners. Her severe pain is caused by spinal canal stenosis and problems with the vertebrae in her lower back.
Prison authorities had previously returned her to the ward when she was being taken to the hospital, citing insufficient funds in her bank account. They also denied her permission to contact her family to obtain financial assistance for her medical treatment.
Who is Shiva Esmaeli?
Born in 1965, Shiva Esmaeli is the mother of three children. She holds a degree in agricultural engineering and is a resident of Tehran.
Shiva Esmaeili was arrested in November 2020 on political grounds without legal transparency and has since endured years of imprisonment and resistance behind bars.
On May 14, 2023, after months of uncertainty, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court handed down her sentence: five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the state,” and four years for “acting against national security.” As supplementary punishment, Shiva Esmaeli was also banned from leaving the country and from engaging in political and social activities for two years.
Her son, Mehdi Vafaei Sani, is also imprisoned in Qezel Hesar Prison and suffers from liver disease and severe back pain.
The continued denial of medical treatment to Shiva Esmaeili and her son Mehdi, who are being held in two separate prisons, has become a means of inflicting physical deterioration and psychological pressure on them.
