Beating of Narges Mohammadi and Other Political Prisoners in Evin Following Protests Against the Execution of Reza Rasayi

Family members of Narges Mohammadi, a political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reported that political prisoners in the women's section of Evin Prison were beaten following their protests against the execution of Reza Rasayi. In a statement released by Ms. Mohammadi's family on Thursday, August 9, it was stated: "The prisoners' protest against the execution of Reza Rasayi led to an attack by prison security forces and security agencies stationed in Evin, along with the extensive presence of military units in the prison." The statement added: "During this time, orders were given to beat and attack the women, and several women who stood in front of the security forces were severely beaten. The confrontation escalated to the point where some prisoners were physically harmed, and others suffered nervous attacks." Political women prisoners in Evin Prison, Tehran, have recently launched a campaign against executions in Iran called 'No to Executions on Tuesdays.' This campaign coincided with the execution of Reza Rasayi on August 6, despite ambiguities in his case. Political activists reported on Tuesday evening that following the protests by the women prisoners in Evin, security forces attacked them, and the phones in this section were cut off. Reza (Gholamreza) Rasayi, 34, a follower of the Yarsan faith, was sentenced to death by the Second Criminal Court of Kermanshah for 'participation in the murder of Nader Birami, head of the IRGC intelligence in the city of Sahneh,' a ruling that was also confirmed by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, some lawyers and human rights activists have pointed out several legal ambiguities in Rasayi's case, including 'reliance on forced confessions of the defendants against each other,' 'deliberate disregard of testimonies from several defendants in favor of Rasayi,' and 'failure to consider the opinion of forensic experts.' According to Narges Mohammadi's family, this political prisoner also suffered a respiratory attack and chest pain after several punches were delivered to her chest by men from military and security agencies, collapsing on the ground in the prison yard. The family statement noted: 'In the created security conditions, no action was taken to transfer her to the prison infirmary or hospital. The prison doctor entered the ward, and Narges announced that she would file a complaint in protest against the beating.' According to this information, Ms. Mohammadi was not transferred to the hospital and only visited the prison infirmary once and the infirmary inside the ward once, remaining in prison. Her family expressed concern that 'security agents and prison officials, fully aware of her heart condition and stent, may have been seeking a tragic incident by striking her chest.' Hours after the family's announcement, the Prison Organization issued a statement denying any beating of prisoners by security forces. In its statement, the organization confirmed the occurrence of unrest in the women's section of Evin Prison but claimed that 'despite the beating of prison staff by prisoners,' without the prisoners 'being beaten,' they were 'returned to their ward.' The Prison Organization further claimed that some prisoners 'attacked the guard officer, incited by Narges Mohammadi,' intending to leave the ward, but 'with the timely presence of security forces, these prisoners were returned to the ward.' According to this statement, two prisoners 'suffered from problems such as palpitations due to stress and excitement from the events that occurred,' which the Prison Organization claimed were 'returned to prison after initial examinations and transfer to medical centers to ensure their health.' Earlier, Taghi Rahmani, Narges Mohammadi's husband, reported that the phone lines in Evin Prison had been cut off, and according to the new statement, Ms. Mohammadi's phone has been cut off since December 8, and her brother and sister in Iran have had no communication or visits with her. Narges Mohammadi, in December of last year, reacted to the execution of Milad Zahraei, one of the detainees from last year's protests, calling on the people of Iran to be the voice of 'the seekers of justice,' 'those under the death sentence, and those protesting the continuation of executions.' Javid Rahman: The Islamic Republic has launched a campaign to issue death sentences for protesters. This Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on December 5 of last year, referring to several executions in Iran in a letter from Evin Prison published on her Instagram page, wrote: 'I urge the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to take immediate, decisive, and swift action to stop executions in Iran in the name of humanity.' In recent years, the Islamic Republic has sentenced many civil activists and Iranian protesters to death on charges of 'baghi,' meaning 'armed rebellion against the regime.' In the laws of the Islamic Republic, the charge of 'baghi' is defined as 'armed uprising against the regime,' and its punishment is usually death.