Civil Activists in Gilan on Their Way to a Prison Lacking Basic Facilities

Two days ago, on July 20, Zahra Dadras, a civil activist in Gilan, was arrested to serve her prison sentence. Zahra Dadras, who had gone to the judiciary to follow up on her situation, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht with her sister; a prison that, according to Ms. Dadras, lacks even the most basic necessities. On August 25 of last year, 12 civil activists and women's rights defenders in Gilan province were arrested; an arrest that the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic referred to as the "destruction of a disruptive organizational team," resulting in these civil activists being sentenced to a total of over 60 years in prison "for a friendly Telegram group." After the court's ruling was issued in Farvardin this year, women's rights activists in Gilan revealed the violent treatment they faced during their arrest and interrogation. Shortly after the details of the arrests were disclosed, the Gilan Appeals Court confirmed the sentences of these civil activists, and in an unprecedented process, their case was referred to the Gilan judiciary for execution in less than a month. On the morning of Wednesday, July 20, all the defendants in the case were summoned by phone by the judiciary for the execution of the sentence. However, Zahra Dadras was arrested without prior notice or summons, as security forces raided her home and transferred her to Lakan Prison in Rasht to serve 9 years and 6 months in prison. Zahra's sister announced in a video that the Ministry of Intelligence claimed they arrested Ms. Dadras due to "fear of escape." After her sister's arrest, Zahra Dadras went to the judiciary and was also transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht. During their initial detention, Zahra and Zahra Dadras were not allowed to meet each other, as ordered by the case investigator, Mohsen Soltani, and they faced violent treatment during their detention like their other friends. Intelligence agents stormed Zahra Dadras's home at dawn on August 25 with weapons, including a pistol and Kalashnikovs. The beatings and threats to shoot were because the security forces wanted her mobile phone password from the early moments of the arrest; a similar incident occurred with other members of the case. Zahra's teenage children were terrified by the violent raid on their home for their mother's arrest. According to the detainees' testimonies, Zahra Dadras was tortured during her detention, and she was thrown from a chair multiple times, resulting in visible bruises on her legs after her arrest. According to Zahra's account, who was the first to be transferred to prison in this case, her sister was threatened with the arrest of her children during detention. During interrogation sessions, Zahra Dadras was told that her child would be "put in a bag," and on other occasions, she was told that her child had been arrested and was being interrogated in another room simultaneously. Zahra's continuous updates about her sister Zahra, both in interviews with the media and on social networks, revealed details about Zahra's arrest and the dire conditions of Lakan Prison. Zahra had warned the security agents about the health condition of her elderly mother and the presence of her small nephew at the moment of their raid, but the security forces did not take this warning seriously, leading to panic for her mother and that child. Zahra also faced violent treatment during her arrest when asked for her mobile phone password. Zahra Dadras is now transferred to prison with the highest sentence compared to other members of the case. Zahra and Zahra Dadras together have about 16 years of prison sentences, accounting for more than a quarter of the total sentences of Gilan activists in the case. Of the 12 defendants in the case, 10 were sentenced to six years and three months in prison for membership in an illegal group. According to the lawyers' statements and the defendants' remarks in multiple interviews after temporary release, this group was actually a "Telegram group." Zahra Dadras, sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison, was the one who created this group. According to Zahra's statements on her Instagram, the trial was conducted in such a way that most Gilan activists were expecting an acquittal. However, contrary to the expectations of the detainees and the expert opinions of lawyers and the judge's claims, one of the heaviest sentences in recent years was issued for all 12 individuals. The aforementioned Telegram group, which according to Gilan activists was merely a friendly group, was the only instance of an "illegal group" in the court's ruling. Security forces applied severe violence to obtain the passwords of the defendants' phones at the moment of arrest, which Radio Farda first reported the details of this violent behavior. Despite the fact that other sources also published details of these acts of violence and torture during and after the arrests, Mohsen Soltani, the case investigator, not only did not pursue this matter but also, according to Forough Samiinia in an interview with the Iranian Women's Association, when she complained about the violent treatment during the arrest and interrogation to the case investigator, he told her, "I said it myself." Ultimately, Judge Irani Aghideh in the Gilan Appeals Court confirmed the sentences of the Gilan activists just one day after the referral for appeal, and finally, by the order of Judge Mashhadi, the execution judge of Rasht Court, all activists must introduce themselves to Lakan Prison in Rasht within the next few days; over 60 years in prison for a Telegram group. What is the situation in Lakan Prison in Rasht? The release of the defendants in the Gilan activists' case last fall drew media attention to Lakan Prison in Rasht; a place where, according to Zahra Dadras, "talking about the minimums is not enough; some things do not exist at all." Despite the significant budget allocated to the prison organization in Iran, most prisons in the country lack the existing standards for holding prisoners. According to research by the Iran Open Database, in addition to this organization’s share of national budgets, over 10% of provincial budgets are also allocated to the prison organization. However, reports indicate that prisons located in provinces other than Tehran are in worse conditions. The presence of Gilan activists in Lakan Prison has led to multiple reports about this prison. Recently, the "Shahr-e Shargh Network" published a report referencing Zahra Dadras's and Forough Samiinia's statements about the prevalence of infectious diseases in the women's section of Lakan Rasht. The lack of access to sanitary facilities, the failure to adhere to the principle of separating prisoners based on the nature of their crimes, and the poor quality of food that leads to illness for many prisoners are just a small part of the problems in Lakan Prison, especially in the women's section or "women's section." Zahra Dadras, who was publishing detailed narratives about the situation in Lakan Prison on her Instagram page, reported last month that she and Forough Samiinia went to the Gilan Prison Organization and demanded improvements in prison conditions. The follow-ups by Gilan activists with the Gilan Prison Organization have led to the issuance of an order for the delivery of a washing machine, dryer, and some sports equipment to the prison. The situation in the men's section of Lakan Rasht has also been reported as concerning. The section known as "Sagdoni," where Houman Taheri was held, like the "women's section," lacks the minimum standards. Aziz Ghasemzadeh, who was recently released from Lakan Prison, spent a significant portion of his sentence in very poor conditions in this prison. The Asu website, in a comprehensive report on Lakan Prison, quoted a female prisoner about the poor condition of the library and the lack of access to books in Lakan Prison. However, the limited number of books available in the prison are donations, given during the peak of protests after the killing of Mahsa Zhina Amini. According to a political prisoner, the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom" can be seen on the margins of many of these books. The sentences of "60 years in prison" for women's rights activists in Gilan were confirmed without a trial.