Source:

Frankfurter Rundschau: [ID 8736]

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

General information about prison and detention center conditions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22866]

"Prison conditions were poor. Many prisoners were held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care to force confessions.

Overcrowding was a significant problem. In March the UK-based International Center for Prison Studies reported that 150,321 prisoners occupied facilities constructed to hold a maximum of 65,000 persons. Of the prisoners currently held in state detention centers, reportedly nearly one quarter were pretrial detainees. In October Prison Organization head Ali Akbar Yasaghi put the number of prisoners at 158,351. There were 130 prisons in the country, with 41 more under construction during the year. [...]

Some prison facilities, including Tehran's Evin Prison, were notorious for cruel and prolonged torture of political opponents of the government. After its 2003 visit, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions described section 209 of Evin Prison as a "prison within a prison," designed for the "systematic, large-scale use of absolute solitary confinement, frequently for long periods." Authorities also maintained "unofficial" secret prisons and detention centers outside the national prison system, where abuse reportedly occurred.

Human rights activists and domestic press reported cases of political prisoners confined in the same wing as violent felons. There were allegations that the authorities deliberately incarcerated nonviolent offenders with violent offenders, anticipating they would be killed. There were also reports of juvenile offenders being detained with adult offenders."

Document(s): Open document

23.10.2007 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Detained President of workers syndicate received medical treatment; already lost sight on one eye after being denied medial treatment; was at risk of becoming totally blind ("Mr. Mansour Osanloo has finally received emergency eye surgery [IRN 005 / 0707 / OBS 077.4]") [ID 21816]

Document(s): Open document

22.10.2007 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Detained president of workers syndicate lost sight on one eye after being denied medical treatment; was detained in Juli 2007 on charges of conspiring against national security ("Mr. Mansour Osanloo, in arbitrary detention, has lost the sight of one eye after being denied urgent medical treatment [IRN 005 / 0707 / OBS 077.3]") [ID 21817]

Document(s): Open document

06.07.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Trade union activist Mahmoud Salehi, who has been imprisoned since 9 April, is seriously ill and is allegedly not receiving the specialist medical treatment that he requires; he is believed to be a prisoner of conscience ("Urgent Action 176/07 [MDE 13/082/2007]") [ID 21592]

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Practice of solitary confinement; many prisoners were denied adequate food or medical care to force confessions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19414]

"Prison conditions in the country were poor. Many prisoners were held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care to force confessions. After its 2003 visit, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions reported that "for the first time since its establishment, [the working group] has been confronted with a strategy of widespread use of solitary confinement for its own sake and not for traditional disciplinary purposes." The working group described Sector 209 of Evin Prison as a "prison within a prison," designed for the "systematic, large-scale use of absolute solitary confinement, frequently for long periods.""

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Overcrowded prison facilities ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19415]

"In March 2005 the UK-based International Center for Prison Studies reported that 142,851 prisoners occupied facilities constructed to hold a maximum of 65,000 persons. In May official statistics from the State Prison Organization put the number of prisoners at 147,926."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Political prisoners are imprisoned with violent offenders ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19417]

"Human rights activists and domestic press reported cases of political prisoners confined in the same prison wing as violent felons. There are allegations that the authorities deliberately incarcerated nonviolent offenders with violent offenders anticipating that they would be killed."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Secretary General of the Administration of Justice of Tehran confirms average size of a cell and that all detention centres are under supervision of the State Prison Organisation ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19423]

"In July 2005 the Secretary General of the Administration of Justice of Tehran said in an interview that, following investigation into prison conditions and corrective actions, every prison cell had an average of 12 square meters, and all detention centers were now under the supervision of the State Prison Organization of prisons."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Common methods in prison facilities ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18467]

"In June a court sentenced a man to have his eyes surgically removed for a crime he committed 12 years earlier, when he was 16. The Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) of the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs quoted human rights specialists as saying that while such unusual sentences were occasionally passed by Islamic courts, they were rarely implemented; rather they were used as leverage to set blood money.

Nonetheless, in November domestic press reported prison authorities amputated the left foot of a convicted armed robber. Some prison facilities, including Tehran's Evin prison, were notorious for the cruel and prolonged torture of political opponents of the government. Additionally, in recent years authorities have severely abused and tortured prisoners in a series of "unofficial" secret prisons and detention centers outside the national prison system.

Common methods included prolonged solitary confinement with sensory deprivation, beatings, long confinement in contorted positions, kicking detainees with military boots, hanging detainees by the arms and legs, threats of execution if individuals refused to confess, burning with cigarettes, sleep deprivation, and severe and repeated beatings with cables or other instruments on the back and on the soles of the feet. Prisoners also reported beatings about the ears, inducing partial or complete deafness, and punching in the eyes, leading to partial or complete blindness. HRW noted that student activists were physically tortured more than critics within the system. It also noted abuse sometimes occurred in the presence of high-level judges.

As reported by a radio broadcast on May 5, Judiciary Head Shahrudi complained about security forces' treatment of some detainees. He said judges must conduct interrogations and confessions without a judge present were inadmissible.

In February 2004 Amnesty International (AI) reported that it had documented evidence of "white torture," a form of sensory deprivation. Amir Abbas Fakhravar (see section 1.e.), a political prisoner, was sent to the "125" detention center, controlled by the revolutionary guards. According to AI his cell had no windows, and the walls and his clothes were white. His meals consisted of white rice on white plates. To use the toilet, he had to put a white piece of paper under the door. He was forbidden to speak, and the guards reportedly wore shoes that muffled sound. The Committee against Torture has found that sensory deprivation amounts to torture.

According to domestic press, in July Abbas Ali Alizadeh, the head of the Tehran judiciary and head of the supervisory and inspection committee to safeguard civil rights, provided Judiciary Chief Shahrudi with a detailed report, as a follow-up to Shahrudi's directive on respect for citizenship rights. This unreleased report was described in detail in the media and outlined abusive human rights practices in prisons, including blindfolding and beating suspects, detainees left in a state of uncertainty, and prolonged investigations. For example, authorities jailed a 13-year-old in the worst detention center for stealing a chicken, jailed a woman in her 80s for financial difficulties, and arrested a woman for drug charges against her husband."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Poor prison conditions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18470]

"Prison conditions in the country were poor. Many prisoners were held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care to force confessions. After its 2003 visit, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions reported that "for the first time since its establishment, [the working group] has been confronted with a strategy of widespread use of solitary confinement for its own sake and not for traditional disciplinary purposes." The working group described Sector 209 of Evin prison as a "prison within a prison," designed for the "systematic, large-scale use of absolute solitary confinement, frequently for long periods." The UNSR reported that much of the prisoner abuse occurred in unofficial detention centers run by unofficial intelligence services and the military. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention raised this issue with the country's Article 90 parliamentary commission during its 2003 visit, generating a commission inquiry that reportedly confirmed the existence of numerous unofficial prisons. In June 2004 HRW documented a number of unofficial prisons and detention centers such as "Prison 59" and "Amaken," an interrogation center where persons are held without charge, questioned intensively for prolonged periods, physically abused, and tortured."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Findings of a comittee founded by the Teheran province judiciary after visiting different detention centres and prisons ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18473]

"The Tehran province judiciary tasked its branches to address and compile complaints about civil rights violations and reportedly received 143 complaints, including a person jailed since 1989 without a conviction or indication of criminal record. In the unreleased report described in July in domestic press, the judiciary committee, called the supervising and inspection committee for preserving citizens' rights, reported visiting detention centers of the police security and intelligence, criminal and intelligence departments, and army security and intelligence departments to assess condition of detainees, sanitation, visiting procedures, and procedures used to summon and arrest suspects.

In its findings, the committee noted arrests without warrants. It said the IRGC intelligence department detention center would not allow the committee to enter its facility. The report also called for an investigation of suicides by female inmates in Rajai'i Shahr prison. The committee report stated every military camp or intelligence or security department had its own detention center, which defied the judiciary head's directive. Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) facilities operated without the required oversight of the Prisons Organization. Serious problems were found in a wide range of detention centers, jails, drug control centers, and prisons, including Section 209 at Evin prison and the Tehran revolutionary court.

The committee reported that contrary to instructions from the judiciary head on size of a detention area, the committee found that some suspects had been held for eight or nine months in much smaller spaces. The report noted torture and solitary confinement in detention centers and claimed it had taken steps to resolve the issue. The report stated that confessions obtained under duress were legally invalid. The committee also called for investigations into possible violations committed against arrested and detained girls and women."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Insufficient space in prison facilities ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18476]

"In July 2004 the UK-based International Center for Prison Studies reported that 133,658 prisoners occupied facilities constructed to hold a maximum of 65 thousand persons."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Political prisoners and those convicted of minor crime are put together with violent criminals ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18477]

"On February 9, HRW warned that the confinement of the country's political prisoners with violent criminals endangered their lives. On January 25, six prisoners in Rajai'i Shahr prison started a hunger strike to protest their confinement with dangerous criminals who assaulted and intimidated them. According to an Internet source, inmates raped and killed a 17-year-old male in a Shiraz prison on November 19. He had been convicted of a minor crime, sent to the juvenile section of the prison, but then transferred to a cell that included convicted adult murderers..."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Group of prisoners in collusion with prison authorities tried to kill Naser Zarafshan, an attorney who represented families of killed dissidents and was sentenced to 5 years in prison ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18590]

"Naser Zarafshan, an attorney who represented families of the victims of the 1998 extrajudicial killings of dissidents by intelligence ministry officials, was sentenced in 2002 to five years in prison for charges including disseminating state secrets. In 2003 the supreme court reportedly dismissed his appeal. According to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) PenCanada, in September 2004 a group of prisoners in collusion with prison authorities attempted to kill Zarafshan. On June 8 and 10, prodemocracy activists and Zarafshan's family demonstrated at Evin prison, calling for his release. On July 9, his attorney, Nobel Peace Prize winner Ebadi, announced he had received a furlough for medical treatment; however, at year's end he remained in Evin prison."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Behruz Javid-Tehrani, member of the Democratic Party of Iran, condemned to prison and 54 lashes, held in solitary confinement for 3 months and severely beaten ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46058], [ID 18649]

"Behruz Javid-Tehrani, a member of the Democratic Party of Iran, was first arrested in 1999 and spent four years in prison. He was then rearrested in July 2004 and condemned to 7 years in prison and 54 lashes. In August it was reported that he was held in solitary confinement for three months and had told relatives that he was severely beaten."

Document(s): Open document

30.09.2005 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Concerns about situation of lawyer who has been detained in solitary confinement since July 30, at prison of Evin in Tehran; since beginning of his detention, he has been denied right to have access to lawyer and to receive visit of his family ("Lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, detained incommunicado since two months") [#37294], [ID 8690]

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2005 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Journalist reimprisoned week after his release on 6 August from Evin prison in Tehran, and is now being held in Arak prison which is normally used for non-political prisoners ("Journalist reimprisoned after a week of freedom, held with ordinary detainees") [#36578], [ID 8691]

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Political prisoner granted temporary medical leave from prison in order to receive hospital treatment; he suffered serious health problems in prison, some reportedly caused by torture and ill-treatment, and conditions in which he was held ("Iran - Further Information on UA 181/03") [#36641], [ID 8692]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

13.09.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Journalist, who recently ended 2-month hunger strike and is in very poor health, reportedly sent back from hospital to Evin prison to serve remainder of his 6-year sentence; he was not granted regular access to his family and confidential meetings with his lawyer ("Iran - Further Information on UA 164/05") [#36519], [ID 8693]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

08.09.2005 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Freelance journalist who works with several local media was arrested in Sarvabad border area after visiting Kurdish part of neighbouring Irak; 3 other journalists were arrested and no explanation was given for their arrest ("Concern over fate of journalists detained in Kurdish part of Iran") [#36336], [ID 8694]

Document(s): Open document

06.09.2005 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Teheran: Prominent journalist Akbar Ganji, who has been imprisoned for more than 5 years, and released in order to be hospitalised, was taken back to Evin prison ("Arbitrary detention") [#36825], [ID 8695]

Document(s): Open document

23.08.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Imprisoned journalist ended his hunger strike which he began on 11 June in protest at being denied access to medical care for chronic asthma; he is at risk of being returned to Evin prison when he leaves hospital, to serve remainder of his 6-year sentence ("Iran - Further Information on UA 164/05") [#35912], [ID 8696]

Document(s): Open document

04.08.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Journalist on 55th day of hunger strike to protest his detention, at serious risk of death; another prisoner, who started hunger strike on 6 July in protest at authorities' refusal to grant him leave from prison to receive medical treatment, fell into coma on July 24 ("Hunger strikers at serious risk of death") [#35005], [ID 8697]

Document(s): Open document

27.07.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Political prisoner, who had been on hunger strike since 6 July in protest at authorities' refusal to grant him leave from prison to receive medical treatment, reportedly fell into coma; his life is in grave danger ("Iran - Further Information on UA 181/03") [#34532], [ID 8698]

Document(s): Open document

25.07.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Government report acknowledges widespread violations of prisoners' rights (torture, detention without trial, undeclared detention centres) ("Iran: Government Report Acknowledges Torture In Prisons") [#34472], [ID 8699]

Document(s): Open document

14.07.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Concerns for health of investigative journalist, who has been on hunger strike for 33 days in protest at being denied access to medical care for chronic asthma; Teheran: several demonstrators, calling for release of political prisoners, beaten and arrested by police ("Iran - Further Information on UA 164/05") [#34017], [ID 8700]

Document(s): Open document

13.07.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Concerns for health of imprisoned leading dissident who suffers from acute asthma; authorities repeatedly prevented him from receiving specialist medical care or taking medical leave; in protest of his unfair treatment he began hunger strike last month ("Leading Dissident’s Life in Danger") [#33989], [ID 8701]

Document(s): Open document

04.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Prisons and prison conditions ("Country Report - April 2005") [#31980], [ID 8702]

"[...]5.48 According to a January 2002 report by the UN Commission on Human Rights the press reported a statement by the head of the National Prisons Organisation stating that there were about 160,000 inmates of whom about two thirds were in prison for drug-related offences, that most of the inmates were aged between 22 and 38, and that 5,000 were women. Moreover, the prison population had increased over 40 per cent in the previous year, and the prisons were now housing more than 100,000 inmates beyond their capacity. Some commentators have questioned whether the figure of 160,000 includes the inmates of the detention centres run by many of the security agencies which were supposed to have been integrated with the National Prisons Organisation; this has not yet been effected. [10p](pg8) The USSD 2004 reports that, "The 2001 report by the UNSR noted a significant increase in the prison population and reports of overcrowding and unrest. In July, the UK-based International Center for Prison Studies reported that 133,658 prisoners occupied facilities constructed to hold a maximum of 65,000 persons. In November, the Iran Prison Organization reported a prison population of 134,103". [4p](pg4) [...]
5.51 The first UN human rights monitors to visit the country for seven years said on 26 February 2003 that Iranians suffer large-scale arbitrary detentions and some prisons operate outside the control of the judicial system. Although the head of the five-member team examining arbitrary detentions said the authorities had cooperated fully with its requests, he raised concerns about unaccountable prisons, detainees being held without access to legal defence, violations of freedom of expression and other abuses. [16d] 5.52 Some moves have been announced in response to concerns over prison conditions. In December 2003 President Khatami announced a government probe into prison conditions [63a] following on from announcements relating to the use of solitary confinement and the proposed closure of some of the older prisons. [61b] In February 2004 a Swiss Commission on Human Rights visited and held talks with officials in charge of administration of the prisons, the judiciary and Foreign Ministry they also visited and inspected some prisons and rehabilitation Centres. [52d]
5.53 According to the HRW in the June 2004 report "Like the Dead in their Coffins", "The number of illegal detention centers not under the direct control of the National Prisons Office is unknown. They are not officially registered as prisons, do not record the names of their prisoners, and information about their budgets, administration, and management is not known even by relevant government authorities. There are reportedly many in and around Tehran, and they appear to be growing in number". [8j](pg14) [...]
6.5 The Working Group examined particularly the situation regarding detention pending trial and visiting rights, and reform of the public prosecution service and criminal procedure. "In its recommendations the Working Group gives priority to the progressive transfer of authority from the revolutionary tribunals and clerical courts to the ordinary courts to reduce the proliferation of judicial decision-making bodies, review of the practice of solitary confinement, the progressive freeing of prisoners of conscience, guarantees of due process and reform of imprisonment for debt. The Working Group concludes with the hope that the current obstacles to the reforms needed will be removed with a view to strengthening the rule of law". [10x](pg2)
6.6 According to the USSD 2003 " The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention; however, these practices remained common. There is reportedly no legal time limit for incommunicado detention, nor any judicial means to determine the legality of detention. In the period immediately following arrest, many detainees were held incommunicado and denied access to lawyers and family members. Suspects may be held for questioning in jails or in local Revolutionary Guard offices. The security forces often did not inform family members of a prisoner's welfare and location. Authorities often denied visits by family members and legal counsel. In addition, families of executed prisoners did not always receive notification of the prisoners' deaths. Those who did receive such information reportedly were forced on occasion to pay the Government to retrieve the body of their relative". [4n](pg4) The report continued, "Continuing serious abuses included: summary executions; disappearances; torture and other degrading treatment, reportedly including severe punishments such as beheading and flogging; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of habeas corpus or access to counsel and prolonged and incommunicado detention. Citizens often did not receive due process or fair trials. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights, and restricted freedom of speech, press, assembly, association and religion". [4n](pg4) According to HRW 1999 an example of alleged human rights abuses is that of the ill treatment of a magazine editor released in May 1998, said to have included mock-execution. [8d] According to the Situation in Iran Report, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 1988,following a prison inspection by President Khatami in 1997, the new Director-General for prisons, Morteza Bakhtiari, told the UN Special Representative that the prison system was going to be reorganised, including the elimination of illegal detention centres. [19a](pg10) The USSD 2004 reports however that, "There also are numerous detention centers not under the control of the NPO, reportedly run by "plainclothes" officers of various security and intelligence agencies, elements of the judiciary, and state-sponsored vigilante groups". [4p] (pg4) [...]"

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Prison, prison conditions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29525], [ID 8703]

"[...]The Constitution forbids the use of torture, as does the Law on Respect of Lawful Liberties and Protection of Citizenship Rights adopted in May; however, there were numerous credible reports that security forces and prison personnel continued to torture detainees and prisoners. Some prison facilities, including Tehran's Evin prison, were notorious for the cruel and prolonged acts of torture inflicted upon political opponents of the Government. Additionally, in recent years, government officials have inflicted severe prisoner abuse and torture in a series of "unofficial" secret prisons and detention centers outside the national prison system. Common methods included prolonged solitary confinement with sensory deprivation, beatings, long confinement in contorted positions, kicking detainees with military boots, hanging detainees by the arms and legs, threats of execution if individuals refused to confess, burning with cigarettes, sleep deprivation, and severe and repeated beatings with cables or other instruments on the back and on the soles of the feet. Prisoners also reported beatings about the ears, inducing partial or complete deafness, and punching in the eyes, leading to partial or complete blindness.
[...]
In March 2003, activist Siamak Pourzand was re-imprisoned after his provisional release in November 2002. After his arrest in 2001, Pourzand was tried in March 2002 behind closed doors and sentenced to 11 years in prison for "undermining state security through his links with monarchists and counter-revolutionaries." Press reports said that he had confessed to his crimes at his trial, but his family claimed that the confession was extracted under duress. Pourzand suffered severe health problems while held incommunicado, reportedly including a heart attack, and was allegedly denied proper medical treatment. As of December, Siamak Pourzand was on leave from prison for medical treatment, his condition a direct result of physical, emotional, and mental abuse during 2½ years of imprisonment (over 12 months of which was in solitary confinement). Despite critical health problems, the Government did not allow him to leave the country for treatment.

In April 2003, Former Deputy Prime Minister and longtime political dissident, Abbas Amir-Entezam was re-imprisoned, after his release in 2002 for medical reasons. Amir-Entezam was reportedly incarcerated for calling for a referendum on whether the country should remain under clerical rule during a speech at Tehran University. He was reportedly a frequent victim of torture in prison resulting in numerous medical problems. He reported having been taken on numerous occasions before a firing squad (see Section 1.e.). During the year, he was released on medical leave until late November, due to the Government's inability to treat his medical conditions in prison. As of December, he was receiving medical treatment at his home while recovering from back surgery, and his medical leave was extended until early January 2005. [...]
Prison conditions in the country were poor. Many prisoners were held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care to force confessions. After its February 2003 visit, the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions reported that "for the first time since its establishment, [the Working Group] has been confronted with a strategy of widespread use of solitary confinement for its own sake and not for traditional disciplinary purposes." The Working Group described Sector 209 of Evin Prison as a "prison within a prison," designed for the "systematic, large-scale use of absolute solitary confinement, frequently for long periods."

The 2001 report by the UNSR noted a significant increase in the prison population and reports of overcrowding and unrest. In July, the UK-based International Center for Prison Studies reported that 133,658 prisoners occupied facilities constructed to hold a maximum of 65,000 persons. In November, the Iran Prison Organization reported a prison population of 134,103. [...]

The Government generally has only granted prison access to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); however, it did permit visits to imprisoned dissidents by U.N. human rights officials during 2003 (see Section 4). U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention officials visited Evin prison in Tehran--including sector 209, in which many political prisoners were believed held--as well as Esfahan and Shiraz prisons, the Shiraz military prison, and police stations in each city. The Working Group interviewed approximately 140 "ordinary" prisoners plus 14 out of a requested 45 inmates described as political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. The Working Group described the authorities' cooperation as "on the whole positive," although it noted problems with fulfillment of follow-up requests generated by the visit and disappointment over arrests carried out after the Group's departure. Following his November 2003 visit to the country, the UNSR for the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression noted that his delegation met with almost 40 dissidents, both in and out of prison. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Unofficial detention centers ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29525], [ID 8704]

"[...]The UNSR reported that much of the prisoner abuse occurred in unofficial detention centers run by unofficial intelligence services and the military. The UNSR further reported that the unofficial detention centers were to be brought under the control of the National Prison Organization (NPO)during 2001; however, November 2003 press reports indicated that a number of unofficial detention centers continued to operate outside NPO control. The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention raised this issue with the country's Article 90 Parliamentary Commission during its February 2003 visit, generating a commission inquiry that reportedly confirmed the existence of numerous unofficial prisons.

In a June study, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented a number of unofficial prisons and detention centers such as "Prison 59" and "Amaken" an interrogation center where persons are held without charge, questioned intensively for prolonged periods, and physically abused and tortured during the process. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

15.02.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Human rights defender and lawyer is being refused extended leave from Evin prison by the Tehran prosecutor, despite the fact that he requires medical treatment for a long standing kidney problem; there are concerns for his safety ("Iran - Further Information on EXTRA 65/02") [#29078], [ID 8705]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

09.02.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

6 alleged political prisoners in Rajaii Shahr prison, launched a hunger strike to protest their confinement with violent criminals who have assaulted and intimidated them; there are concerns for their safety and health ("Political Prisoners Held with Violent Criminals") [#28925], [ID 8706]

Document(s): Open document

13.01.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Torture and Ill-treatment in Detention ("World report 2005") [#28233], [ID 8707]

"[...]With the closure of independent newspapers and journals, treatment of detainees has worsened in Evin prison as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the judiciary and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Torture and ill-treatment in detention has been used particularly against those imprisoned for peaceful expression of their political views. In violation of international law and Iran’s constitution, judges often accept coerced confessions. The use of prolonged solitary confinement, often in small basement cells, has been designed to break the will of those detained in order to coerce confessions and provide information regarding associates. This systematic use of solitary confinement rises to the level of cruel and inhuman treatment. Combined with denial of access to counsel and videotaped confessions, prolonged solitary confinement creates an environment in which prisoners have nowhere to turn in order to seek redress for their treatment in detention. Severe physical torture is also used, especially against student activists and others who do not enjoy the high public profile of older dissident intellectuals and writers. The judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi, issued an internal directive in April 2004 banning torture and inhumane treatment of detainees, but as of yet no enforcement mechanisms have been established.[...]"

Document(s): Open document

04.12.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Secret squads operating under the authority of the Iranian judiciary have used torture to force detained Internet journalists and civil society activists to write self-incriminatory “confession letters” ("Iran: Torture Used to Obtain ‘Confessions’") [#27567], [ID 8708]

Document(s): Open document

20.08.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Man who was detained without charge since his arrest 10 months ago, allegedly was tortured; he is reportedly suffering from health problems for which the necessary treatment was denied ("Iran - Further Information on UA 87/04") [#24939], [ID 8709]

Document(s): Open document

05.08.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

The recent hunger strike in Tehran's Evin prison and the unabated wave of arrests and temporary detention of students, journalists and workers are some of the signs of a worsening human rights situation in Iran ("Iran: Human rights commitments not matched by reality") [#24509], [ID 8710]

Document(s): Open document

07.07.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Delay and denial of medical care in prison documented in the case of Akbar Mohammadi ("Five Years of injustice and ill treatment: Akbar Mohammadi – case sheet") [#23840], [ID 8712]

"In the first year of his imprisonment, Akbar Mohammadi was also reportedly kicked down a flight of stairs, which broke his pelvis. He was said to have been denied medical treatment and has allegedly been unable to walk comfortably since.

At the end of November 2003, Akbar Mohammadi was hospitalised due to stomach and kidney problems, including internal bleeding, and possibly a lung infection. He was operated on at the Taleghani Hospital. During his six day stay in hospital, he was kept under 24 hour surveillance by guards and was not allowed visitors. According to information from his family, a hospital doctor recommended a hospital stay of one month, but he was transferred back to Evin prison after six days. His health is said to have deteriorated since then, as the operation was reportedly unsuccessful.

The Mohammadi family's repeated requests for Akbar to be granted temporary leave in order to go to hospital for medical treatment were reportedly denied until March 2004, when they were told that he could be released on bail equalling - at official rates -US$42,500; an amount which the family said it cannot afford. Yet, a medical report reportedly prepared by medical officials in Evin prison allegedly states that Akbar requires further medical intervention outside the confines of the hospital and a period of rehabilitation in a suitable environment. According to unconfirmed information received in June 2004, doctors may have told Akbar Mohammadi that even if he was operated on, he may be left disabled in some way. Amnesty International fears that Akbar Mohammadi has not been given prompt access to adequate medical attention.

Akbar Mohammadi may be a prisoner of conscience. Please join Amnesty International and its worldwide members in calling for a judicial review into his case (see details at the end of this document), with a view to his release, if he is imprisoned solely for his conscientiously held beliefs. Join Amnesty International in calling for an investigation into the allegations of torture and for anyone found responsible for having carried out torture to be brought to justice; and for calling for Akbar Mohammadi to be given adequate medical attention."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

09.06.2004 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Although UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was provided permission to enter Evin prison and and conduct interviews with prisoners, suspected members of intelligence service firmly requested the delegation to leave ("EU-Iran Dialogue on Human Rights: One step forward, two steps back (ACHRF/24/04)") [#23237], [ID 8713]

"Although, Iran has extended its invitation to the Special Procedures of the Commission on Human Rights, it failed to provide full cooperation. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated that though the Working Group was provided permission to enter the sector 209 at Evin prison, “the visit and interviews of prisoners were cut short under the pressure of two unidentified individuals, apparently belonging to the intelligence service, who, without identifying themselves, firmly requested the delegation to leave, even though the authorization for the visit and interviews with a number of prisoners had just been finally agreed by high‑level ministerial representatives, who were with the delegation and thus present in the prison”. A guard of the jail also tried to pass off as a prisoner."

Document(s): Open document

09.06.2004 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi died after subjected to torture after 3 days of interrogation in Evin prison; persons responsible for her death remain unpunished ("EU-Iran Dialogue on Human Rights: One step forward, two steps back (ACHRF/24/04)") [#23237], [ID 8714]

"Impunity is one of the important factors exacerbating human rights violations. Tehran’s Chief Prosecutor, Judge Said Mortazavi who had interrogated Canadian journalist, Ms Zahra Kazemi and allegedly subjected her to torture is all set to go unpunished. Ms Zahra Kazemi was detained on 23 June 2003 for taking pictures of Tehran's notorious Evin prison. She died in hospital in Tehran on 10 July after falling into a coma having received head injuries during more than three days of interrogation in judicial and intelligence’s custody. On 28 October 2003, the Article 90 Commission of the Majlis in its partially censured report concluded that Prosecutor Mortazavi and other members of the judiciary were directly involved in Ms. Kazemi's death, having subjected her to violent interrogations in Evin prison. The Commission also accused them of attempting to cover up the cause of her death. Not surprisingly, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression (E/CN.4/2004/62/Add.2) stated that Iranian government was allowing the persons responsible for Mrs. Kazemi's death to remain unpunished. Only the Interrogator from the Intelligence Ministry Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi has been charged and he pleaded not guilty at the trial's first and only session in October 2003. Chief Prosecutor, Judge Said Mortazavi has been let off."

Document(s): Open document

07.06.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report on torture, arbitrary arrest, and detention of government critics in Evin prison and secret detention centres run by the Revolutionary Guards ("“Like the Dead in Their Coffins”: Torture, Detention, and the Crushing of Dissent in Iran") [#23844], [ID 8711]

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20.05.2004 - Source: BBC News

The trial of an Iranian intelligence agent charged with beating to death a Canadian journalist will resume in July after a long delay ("Kazemi trial to resume in July") [#22475], [ID 8715]

Document(s): Open document

13.05.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Head of the Tehran Artistic and Cultural Centre and an occasional newspaper correspondent, is a prisoner of conscience, serving an 11 year sentence imposed after an unfair and politically motivated trial ("Siamak Pourzand: a case study of flagrant human rights violations") [#22273], [ID 8716]

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06.04.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Intellectual, Head of Tehran Artistic and Cultural Centre, fell into coma in prison as he was denied medical treatment ("Iran - Further Information on UA 298/01") [#21104], [ID 8717]

Document(s): Open document

23.03.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Temporary detention of a freelance journalist extended until 6 April ("Iran - Further Information on UA 25/04") [#20675], [ID 8718]

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22.03.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Tehran: Arzhang Davoodi remains in prison, although his family have paid bail, and is reportedly suffering from severe health problems as a result of torture and ill-treatment, for which he is being denied necessary medical treatment ("Iran - Further Information on UA 87/04") [#20640], [ID 8719]

Document(s): Open document
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02.03.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Arzhang Davoodi, who was arrested after he criticised the Iranian authorities in a TV documentary, was severely beaten in detention/ there are fears that he may be at risk of further ill-treatment or torture ("Iran - UA 87/04") [#19994], [ID 8720]

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27.02.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Mohsen Mofidi, charged with possessing the illegal satellite dish, alcohol and with fostering the corruption of his younger sisters, died after flogging while in detention ("Iran: Justice denied to man who died after flogging") [#19821], [ID 8721]

Document(s): Open document

17.02.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Freelance journalist is reportedly held at a detention centre under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence/ he is at serious risk of ill-treatment ("Iran - Further Information on UA 25/04") [#19418], [ID 8722]

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13.02.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Freelance journalist who has been in prison for over a year reportedly subjected to treatment amounting to torture (sensory deprivation) ("Iran - Further Information on UA 88/03") [#19412], [ID 8723]

Document(s): Open document

21.01.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Freelance journalist, who has written for a number of overseas newspapers, arrested/ there are fears he might be tortured and ill treated in detention ("Iran - UA 25/04") [#18889], [ID 8724]

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19.01.2004 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Independent journalist, employed by a number of reformist dailies, was arrested at his home by order of the Tabriz revolutionary court in north-western Iran ("Reporters Without Borders calls for the immediate release of independent journalist") [#18990], [ID 8725]

"Hedayat was previously arrested on 16 June 2003, at the University of Tabriz, where he was covering student demonstrations. Accused of inciting the students to revolt, he spent more than 20 days in solitary confinement. After his release on 14 July, he wrote a letter to President Khatami in which he spoke out against his prison conditions and against torture practised by the security forces."

Document(s): Open document

18.11.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Father of a student activist Ahmad Batebi, who was feared to have "disappeared", was informed by Tehran's Chief Prosecutor that his son was back in prison/ there are concerns for his physical condition ("Iran - Further Information on UA 330/03") [#17703], [ID 8726]

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24.10.2003 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Iranian-American academic is being held without charge by Iranian authorities since July/ he is held in solitary confinement and at risk of being tortured ("Iran: Detained Professor Should Be Freed") [#17046], [ID 8727]

"Dariush Zahedi, an Iranian-American academic held without charge by Iranian authorities since July, should be released immediately and unconditionally, Human Rights Watch said today. [...]

... Zahedi was detained in Tehran's Evin Prison in a section controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence. [...]

After a 40-day investigation by the Ministry of Intelligence into espionage charges, Zahedi was reportedly cleared of suspicion. However, it appears that Tehran Chief Prosecutor Said Mortazavi intervened and transferred Zahedi's case to the judiciary. He has been kept in the judiciary-controlled sector of Evin Prison since, almost entirely in solitary confinement. His family has received no information regarding the legal status of his case.

Informal efforts to secure Zahedi's release have failed. His family has known of his detention since the summer, but kept silent because security forces told them that if they publicized the case, he would be harmed.

Zahedi's family has visited him briefly in prison twice, and has been able to speak with him only once by phone in the presence of a guard. He does not have a lawyer, and his family has little information about his condition in prison.""

Document(s): Open document

16.09.2003 - Source: BBC News

Abbas Abdi and other political prisoners in the country jailed in extremely difficult conditions ("Fears for Iran's political prisoners") [#16139], [ID 8728]

Document(s): Open document

15.07.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Simin Mohammadi reportedly held in solitary confinement at Evin prison, in the capital Tehran/ she does not have access to a lawyer, and may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment ("Iran - Further Information on UA 181/03") [#14335], [ID 8729]

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10.07.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Asghar Mazaheri Kalahroudi reportedly being held in incommunicado detention at an unknown location, where he may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment ("Iran - UA 203/03") [#14262], [ID 8730]

Document(s): Open document

31.03.2003 - Source: US Department of State

Prison conditions were harsh; many abuses ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002") [#11869], [ID 8731]

"In July 1999, the Government and individuals acting with the consent of the authorities used excessive force in attacking a dormitory during student protests in Tehran, including reportedly throwing students from windows. Approximately 300 students were injured in the incident. The UNSR noted numerous credible reports that students arrested following the demonstration were tortured in prison (see Section 2.b.).
Prison conditions were harsh. Some prisoners were held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care in order to force confessions. Female prisoners reportedly have been raped or otherwise tortured while in detention. Prison guards reportedly intimidated family members of detainees and tortured detainees in the presence of family members.

In his August 2001 report, the UNSR noted that the head of the National Prisons Organization (NPO) had told him that the prison population had risen 40 percent over the previous year. Previously, the UNSR had received reports about prisoner overcrowding and unrest, along with little space available for each prisoner.

The UNSR reported that much of the prisoner abuse occurred in unofficial detention centers run by the secret service and military. The UNSR further reported that according to the head of the NPO, the unofficial detention centers officially were brought under the control of the NPO during 2001. In the UNSR's 2001 report, the UNSR was unable to determine whether the change actually had taken place, and whether it had impacted the number of cases of prisoner abuse. HRW has reported that Prison 59 in Tehran, which is located in a Revolutionary Guard compound, was the only remaining prison not brought under the jurisdiction of the NPO. Access to Prison 59 was denied, including to Members of Parliament and the President's staff.

The Iranian Human Rights Working Group (IHRWG), an Internet-based human rights NGO, reported that conditions for political prisoners deteriorated during the year.

In August 2001, a parliamentary group investigating abuses committed by state institutions reportedly cited a large increase in the number of persons being imprisoned, more than two-thirds of them for drug-related offenses. It also noted that HIV/AIDS and other diseases were spreading rapidly throughout the prison population.
Other than the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Government did not permit visits to imprisoned dissidents by human rights monitors (see Section 4)."

Document(s): Open document

31.03.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Medical treatment denied ("Iran - UA 88/03") [#11701], [ID 8732]

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10.2002 - Source: UK Home Office

UK Home Office: ("Country Assessment - October 2002") [#9556], [ID 8733]

"4.50. Prison conditions are harsh. Some prisoners are held in solitary confinement or denied adequate food or medical care in order to force confessions. Female prisoners reportedly have been raped or otherwise tortured while in detention. [10(r)] Prison guards reportedly intimidate family members of detainees and torture detainees in the presence of family members. [4(k)]

4.51. According to a January 2002 report by the UN Commission on Human Rights the press reported a statement by the head of the National Prisons Organisation stating that there were about 160,000 inmates of whom about two thirds were in prison for drug-related offences, that most of the inmates were aged between 22 and 38, and that 5,000 were women. Moreover, the prison population had increased over 40 per cent in the previous year, and the prisons were now housing more than 100,000 inmates beyond their capacity. Some commentators have questioned whether the figure of 160,000 includes the inmates of the detention centres run by many of the security agencies which were supposed to have been integrated with the National Prisons Organisation; this has not yet been effected. [10(p)]

4.52. The dominant feature of Iranian prisons is their overcrowding and this seems to have had the inevitable results of prison disturbances on the one hand and breakouts on the other. It also noted that HIV/AIDS and other diseases were spreading rapidly throughout the prison population. [4(k)] In 2000, drug users constituted more than half of the prison population and the number of inmates incarcerated for drug related crimes was 80,415. [34] by September 2002 it was being reported that up to two thirds of Iranian prisoners were in jail on drug related offences. [5(ar)] Eighty per cent of prison authorities acknowledged that drug use took place inside prisons although not at a great rate. [34]

4.53. One of the main plans to deal with these problems seems to be the establishment of a parallel system of camps for drug related offences, to be located in remote parts of the country. The Director of the Prisons Organisation reports that eight such camps are now in existence. [10(p)] The proliferation of unofficial, illegal detention centres, such as the so-called Prison 59 in Tehran also gave cause for concern. [8(f)]"

Document(s): Open document

04.03.2002 - Source: US Department of State

US State Department: Security forces and prison personnel continued to torture detainees and prisoners ("Annual report 2001") [#5823], [ID 8734]

"The Constitution forbids the use of torture; however, there were numerous credible reports that security forces and prison personnel continued to torture detainees and prisoners. Some prison facilities, including Tehran's Evin prison, are notorious for the cruel and prolonged acts of torture inflicted upon political opponents of the Government. Common methods include suspension for long periods in contorted positions, burning with cigarettes, sleep deprivation, and, most frequently, severe and repeated beatings with cables or other instruments on the back and on the soles of the feet. Prisoners also have reported beatings about the ears, inducing partial or complete deafness, and punching in the eyes, leading to partial or complete blindness. Stoning and flogging are prescribed expressly by the Islamic Penal Code as appropriate punishments for adultery (see Section 1.a.).

During the year, HRW reported that public floggings were "increasingly used for a wide range of social offenses, including breaches of the dress code, despite opposition from Interior Ministry officials who questioned the effectiveness of such punishments." For example, eight men convicted of drinking alcohol and causing public disturbance were flogged publicly in Tehran in July. Authorities flogged the men with 70 to 80 lashes.

HRW also reported that clashes between police and demonstrators broke out at public floggings and executions in Tehran in July and August when protesters demonstrated against these forms of punishment."

Document(s): Open document

04.03.2002 - Source: US Department of State

US State Department: Families of executed prisoners do not always receive notification of the prisoners' deaths ("Annual report 2001") [#5823], [ID 8735]

"The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention; however, these practices remain common. There is reportedly no legal time limit for incommunicado detention, nor any judicial means to determine the legality of detention. Suspects may be held for questioning in jails or in local Revolutionary Guard offices.

The security forces often do not inform family members of a prisoner's welfare and location. Prisoners also may be denied visits by family members and legal counsel. In addition families of executed prisoners do not always receive notification of the prisoners' deaths. Those who do receive such information reportedly have been forced on occasion to pay the Government to retrieve the body of their relative."

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2002 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

The prison population had increased over 40 per cent in the previous year ("Report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, prepared by the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Maurice Danby Copithorne, pursuant to Commission resolution 2001/17 (E/CN.4/2002/42)") [#5732], [ID 8737]

"23. Prisons in Iran continue to be a subject of concern and controversy. The press
reported a statement by the head of the National Prisons Organization that there were
about 160,000 inmates of whom about two thirds were in prison for drug-related offences, that
most of the inmates were aged between 22 and 38, and that 5,000 were women. Moreover, the
prison population had increased over 40 per cent in the previous year, and the prisons were now
housing more than 100,000 inmates beyond their capacity. Some commentators have questioned
whether the figure of 160,000 includes the inmates of the detention centres run by many of the
security agencies which were supposed to have been integrated with the National Prisons
Organization; this has not yet been effected according to the evidence reaching the Special
Representative.
24. The dominant feature of Iranian prisons is their overcrowding and in the period under
review this seems to have had the inevitable results of prison disturbances on the one hand and
breakouts on the other. The Special Representative has reported in the past on some of the
prescriptions for overcrowding. The main thrust of current plans seems t