Soheil Arabi, a former political prisoner who was recently released from Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, described the conditions under which opponents of Iran’s regime are held in “Suite 35, Unit Three” of the prison in a letter titled “Imprisonment During War; Struggling to Survive in Ghezel Hesar Prison.”
In the letter, he wrote about the presence of prisoners sentenced to death, the death-centered atmosphere dominating the ward, severe communication restrictions including deprivation of phone calls and visits, and the violent and torturous behavior of prison officials.
Iranian Political Prisoner Mohammad Abbasi Hanged in Ghezel Hesar Prison
Arabi wrote that he observed several young cellmates, born in the second half of the 2000s and under the age of 20, moving their necks up and down and from side to side in order to prepare their muscles for the hangman’s noose.
He also referred to the executions of Hamzeh, Saeed, Pouya Ghobadi, and several of his other cellmates in March and April of this year, adding: “This is not just a prison; it is a place where people are broken before they are executed. The sound of water pipes striking prisoners’ bodies, the laughter of guards, and phrases such as: ‘Guys, get ready to welcome an opponent of the regime,’ are part of everyday life.”
According to this political prisoner, extremely poor detention conditions, small cells, overcrowding, lack of access to outdoor exercise areas, insufficient and low-quality food, lack of sanitary facilities, housing 10 prisoners in a 12-square-meter cell, a single cup shared by everyone, tea served in a crushed plastic bottle, and the enforced lack of contact between many prisoners and their families were only some of the hardships endured in Suite 35 of Ghezel Hesar Prison.
