A new report by the Iranian Human Rights Organization sheds light on the abysmal conditions of Qarchak Prison, near Varamin.
According to the Iranian Human Rights Organization, the wards of Qarchak Prison are essentially repurposed poultry sheds. For years, they have been used to house female prisoners, including political detainees, without adhering to any standards.
The report states that Qarchak Prison in Varamin not only violates global standards but also disregards the most basic principles of human dignity.
The Iranian Human Rights Organization reports that women in Qarchak Prison (southeast of Tehran) are held in extremely cramped spaces, without adequate ventilation or sufficient light. They endure unsafe drinking water, poor-quality food, inadequate health and medical services, and humiliating, gender-based treatment as part of their daily suffering.
Originally converted from a poultry farm to a men’s addiction treatment center, this facility was later repurposed as a women’s prison. However, no significant structural changes were made. The wards lack windows, and when the iron doors of the exercise yards are closed, the only visible scenery is walls.
Many prisoners are deprived of sleeping space due to severe overcrowding and a lack of basic facilities.
On average, between 1,500 and 2,000 women are incarcerated in this prison most months of the year. Each hall in Qarchak Prison is designed to hold fewer than 100 individuals, but they usually house over 150, and at times, this number has reached 600, leaving prisoners without even floor space to sleep.
According to the report, poor hygiene conditions, lack of facilities, and harsh punitive measures have turned Qarchak Prison into an “exile zone for many female political and civil prisoners.”
The Iranian Human Rights Organization warned that the existence of such facilities, especially in the 21st century, is a stark reminder that justice and human dignity are still sacrificed in many parts of the world. It emphasized the urgent need to close Qarchak Prison and transfer all detainees to facilities meeting minimum international standards.
Prisoners reported the abundance of pests and vermin in their living areas, including cockroaches, mice, salamanders, lizards, water bugs, and even venomous tarantulas.
Prisoners stated that the prison water is undrinkable and, if not boiled and purified, causes various gastrointestinal and kidney diseases.
Political prisoners who were temporarily exiled to this prison reported that the water is unfit even for bathing.
A political prisoner recounted developing severe eczema due to bathing with the mineral-laden water of Qarchak Prison, requiring about a year of treatment after release.
The report revealed that Qarchak Prison lacks a water purification system. Women, many of whom have no financial means, are forced to buy overpriced bottled water from the prison store for drinking.
Moreover, the poor-quality tap water is frequently cut off during the hot season.
Due to frequent water outages, prison authorities turn off the evaporative coolers in the wards, creating unbearable heat that often escalates psychological tensions and severe conflicts among inmates.
The Iranian Human Rights Organization reported that each hall, housing an average of 150 prisoners, has at most three or four toilets, which lack proper sewage disposal systems.
Sewage overflow on the floors attracts insects and creates toxic odors, leading to respiratory issues for prisoners.
The issue of inadequate sanitary facilities affects not only prisoners but also visitors, who have no access to toilets despite traveling long distances.
Despite the high number of sick inmates, medical visits are severely limited, with a maximum of five prisoners per ward being seen by a doctor.
Ophthalmologists and dentists rarely visit the prison, and dental care, apart from extractions, must be paid for by the patients themselves.
The report added that the prison’s medical laboratory cannot perform most tests, and if prisoners are referred to external medical centers, they must cover the costs themselves.
A political prisoner reported that in several instances where inmates working in the kitchen suffered severe burns from boiling water, the authorities refused to transfer them to a hospital, instead prescribing painkillers and burn ointments before sending them back to their wards.
While authorities are extremely restrictive in prescribing essential medications for prisoners, they frequently distribute sedatives and painkillers, using them as a means to pacify inmates.
The principle of separating prisoners based on the nature of their crimes is not observed, and most political prisoners are currently housed in Ward Seven alongside dangerous inmates.
Additionally, addicts and inmates with infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis B, are not segregated from other prisoners.
