Cases of 3 political prisoners

The Iranian regime continues to escalate its crackdown on political dissidents, as demonstrated by the harrowing cases of Pakhshan Azizi, Varisha Moradi and Sarvnaz Ahmadi. These reports detail the serious human rights violations, including unjust convictions, lengthy detention and denial of medical care, suffered by these political prisoners in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison.

New case against Pakhshan Azizi for alleged “prison riots”

Pakhshan Azizi, a political prisoner sentenced to death in Tehran's Evin Prison, has been charged with “prison sedition” in a new case filed by the Third Branch of the Evin Prison Prosecutor's Office. This charge relates to events surrounding the second round of Iran's presidential elections in June 2024.

On July 25, 2024, Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish political prisoner, journalist and social work graduate, was sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court after nearly a year in prison. The court found her guilty of “armed insurrection” (known as “bagh-ye”) due to her alleged membership in a Kurdish opposition party. In addition, three members of her family were sentenced to prison terms.

The death sentence was imposed by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, which accused her of “armed rebellion” because she was involved in a Kurdish opposition party. Azizi was also sentenced to four years in prison for “membership in groups that oppose the regime.”

This ruling came despite Azizi being denied access to a lawyer and family visits during the eight months of her detention and interrogation. Her trial took place in May 2024 and the verdict was communicated to her lawyer on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

At the same time, three of her family members were each sentenced to one year in prison for allegedly “aiding and abetting escape from prosecution and conviction.”

Over a year of uncertainty: Varisha Moradi’s continued detention in Evin Prison

Varisha Moradi, another political prisoner, has been denied phone calls and family visits for over three months. Accused of “armed insurrection,” Varisha Moradi has been held in legal limbo in Evin Prison for over a year since her arrest.

Moradi was arrested by security forces on the outskirts of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province in western Iran, on July 31, 2023. After completing the interrogation, she was transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center (known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison) to the women's ward of Evin Prison on December 26, 2023.

Sarvnaz Ahmadi in critical condition, denied medical treatment

Sarvnaz Ahmadi, a child rights activist detained in Evin, is in urgent need of medical treatment, according to her doctor, but case workers rejected her request for medical leave.

On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Ahmadi was taken to a neurologist outside Evin Prison. The specialist, appointed by the judiciary, described her condition as extremely critical and, in a letter to the prison authorities, urgently requested medical leave. Sarvnaz Ahmadi, who has served a third of her three-and-a-half-year sentence, is legally entitled to medical leave and conditional release. However, the security authorities are preventing her from exercising these rights.

Ahmadi's severe neurological disorder, which includes convulsions and violent muscle contractions, was triggered by an attack by security forces on a hunger strike by female prisoners in the women's section. She had already been admitted to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran after suffering a seizure on Thursday.

Sarvnaz Ahmadi was arrested on April 27, 2023, just before International Workers' Day, along with several labor and union activists at the home of Mohammad Habibi, a prominent teachers' union leader, and later taken to Evin Prison.

Persistent and serious human rights violations

These three reports highlight the ongoing and serious human rights violations faced by political prisoners in Iran, particularly activists opposing the Iranian regime. The cases of Pakhshan Azizi, Varisha Moradi and Sarvnaz Ahmadi reveal the regime's systematic denial of due process, legal representation and medical care, and underscore the brutal conditions in Iranian prisons.

The fate of these prisoners, who suffer long prison sentences, harsh punishments and life-threatening neglect, reflects the widespread repression faced by dissidents in Iran. These incidents require increased international attention and urgent action to combat violations of fundamental rights in the Iranian prison system.