Concerns have escalated over the condition of political prisoners formerly held in Evin Prison after their transfer to Qarchak Varamin, Greater Tehran, and Ghezel Hesar prisons in Karaj. Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist currently imprisoned, described the situation as “critical” in a phone call with his brother.
On Wednesday, June 18, the family of political prisoner Ali Younesi reported that he had been forcibly and abruptly transferred from Evin Prison to an undisclosed location. Younesi, born in March 2001, is a computer science student at Sharif University of Technology and the recipient of a gold medal at the 2018 International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) held in Beijing, China.
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In March 2020, he was arrested along with Amir Hossein Moradi, another elite student at Sharif University. A Revolutionary Court sentenced both of them to 16 years in prison on charges of “destruction and arson of public property, assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda against the regime.” Both are supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
There has also been no news about political prisoner Arghavan Fallahi following her transfer from Evin to Qarchak Varamin prison. Arghavan, a supporter of the PMOI/MEK, has been imprisoned since the 2022 protests.
Mohammadreza Valizadeh, quoting his brother Reza Valizadeh—an Iranian-American journalist who was arrested after returning to Iran in early March following 15 years abroad—has expressed concern about the mass transfer of prisoners without adherence to basic standards such as separation based on charges, proper living conditions, access to essential services, and the right to contact family members.
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In his message, the journalist’s brother described the dire and deplorable conditions of political prisoners, including Reza himself, in Greater Tehran Prison. Quoting his brother, he said: “Prisoners were transferred under harsh conditions, shackled together with shared handcuffs and leg irons from Evin Prison to Greater Tehran Prison, and the living quarters they have been placed in—previously used for housing methadone-addicted inmates—are extremely unsanitary and contaminated.”
Two areas of Evin Prison were reportedly targeted by Israeli military strikes on Monday, June 23.
Following the release of initial reports on the deteriorating conditions of prisoners, it was announced that they would be transferred to Qarchak Varamin, Greater Tehran, and Ghezel Hesar prisons.
HRANA, the news agency affiliated with the Human Rights Activists in Iran, also reported on the poor conditions of these prisoners and wrote: “Following the mass transfer of male political prisoners from Evin Prison, more than 70 individuals have been moved to quarantine unit 3 of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. These individuals are facing a severe shortage of basic necessities and restrictions on contact with their families.”
HRANA also reported on the condition of female political prisoners: “Many of these women were suddenly and forcibly transferred to Qarchak Varamin Prison. At first, they were held in a small and unsanitary quarantine area and later moved to a gymnasium lacking any facilities, including beds. After some time, the prisoners were returned to the quarantine ward, where they now remain in conditions that do not observe the principle of separating prisoners based on charges, nor even minimal living standards.”
The sanitary conditions in Qarchak and Greater Tehran prisons have been reported as extremely poor. Relatives of one of the transferred female prisoners told HRANA: “In the gymnasium and quarantine ward of this prison, there are only two toilets and one shower for dozens of prisoners. The quarantine area is very small and unhygienic, and during the hot summer weather, using the outdoor yard is practically impossible.”
Food quality and access to clean water in Qarchak and Greater Tehran prisons have also been described as critical. Female prisoners in Qarchak Varamin and a large number of transferred prisoners in Greater Tehran Prison have also been deprived of access to medical services.
