Women political prisoners held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are spending late autumn 2025 under conditions that, according to received reports, involve widespread deprivation of the most basic sanitary, welfare, and medical facilities. This alarming situation continues while repeated warnings by prisoners and their families have so far been met with no effective or lasting action by prison authorities.
In the early hours of October 9, dozens of women political prisoners were transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. This transfer, which was initially carried out with promises of improved conditions, has in practice led to an intensification of problems and additional pressure on these prisoners. According to informed sources, conditions in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are not only no better than Qarchak, but in some cases are reported to be far worse.
Severe contamination in the women’s ward; rats and vermin
According to available information, around 60 women political prisoners are currently being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Prisoners say that the corridors and rooms of the ward are severely contaminated and that the widespread presence of rats and vermin has become a permanent problem. According to them, the number of rats in the ward has reached about 100 and continues to increase.
Despite these conditions, no effective measures such as pest control, cleaning, or improvements to sanitary conditions have been taken by prison authorities. This negligence has increased the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and serious physical harm to prisoners.
Permanent locking of wards and severe restrictions on outdoor time
Another serious problem faced by women political prisoners is the severe restriction on movement and access to outdoor time. Reports indicate that ward doors are often kept continuously locked, confining prisoners to enclosed spaces for long hours. This situation, especially for elderly and ill prisoners, has serious physical and psychological consequences and has exacerbated their chronic illnesses.
Deprivation of medical care and medical transfers
Women political prisoners in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are also deprived of minimum medical services. Access to specialist doctors, essential medications, and transfers to hospitals outside prison has been severely restricted, and in many cases prisoners’ medical requests are ignored. This deprivation places the lives of prisoners suffering from serious illnesses at direct risk.
Critical situation of elderly and ill women
The harsh conditions in the women’s ward of Evin Prison are reported to be far more severe for elderly and ill prisoners. These individuals endure difficult days without access to specialized medical care or supportive facilities, a situation that has greatly heightened the concerns of families and human rights activists.
