The unidentified woman was on temporary parole from prison in the southern city of Marvdasht and had gone to the justice department to request an extension of her prison leave. When her application was rejected, she attempted to commit suicide by setting herself on fire. She is reportedly in critical condition.
A Marvdasht resident reached by telephone said it was rumored in town that the woman had been brutally treated by prison guards.
Prison conditions in Iran have become the focus of international concern after the publication of a report by an internal investigative body of Irans judiciary. The report discovered serious cases of torture, solitary confinement, long-term detention without trial, and other abuses.
