Continuation of the Ban on Family Visits for Some Female Prisoners in Evin

A group of women imprisoned in Evin prison, who had received news of the lifting of their visitation ban after a period of deprivation, have again been prohibited from visiting their families since Sunday, January 13, for unspecified reasons. According to human rights media, Mahboubeh Rezaei, Anisha Asadollahi, Samaneh Asghari, Reyhaneh Ansari Nejad, Golrokh Iraei, Sakineh Parvaneh, Nahid Khodajoo, Nasrin Khazari Javad, Raheleh Rahimipour, Vida Rabani, Nasrin Roshan, Nasim Gholami Simyari, Saideh Shafiei, Pakhshan Azizi, Saideh Ghorbanali, Varisheh Moradi, Pariyosh Moslemi, Masoumeh Nasaji, Elaheh Fooladi, Zahra Safaei, Hoorah Nikbakht, and Maryam Yahyavi have been deprived of family visits and phone contact since the months of Shahrivar and Mehr 1403 (September and October 2024) as a punitive measure following their protests against the execution of Reza Rasai. According to these reports, on December 23, it was communicated in writing to the prison authorities that the punitive restrictions had ended and that the prisoners could benefit from their right to visit. However, shortly after the announcement of the lifting of the restrictions, some prisoners were verbally informed that the previous punitive restrictions, including the visitation ban, still remain in effect. It is unclear how many female prisoners in Evin are currently deprived of visits and which individual or entity has ordered the continuation of their deprivation. The right to visit is one of the rights of prisoners. The executive regulations of the Iranian Prison Organization stipulate that every prisoner can have a face-to-face and cabin visit for 20 to 30 minutes each week. Spouses, children, parents, siblings, and in-laws have the right to visit the prisoner. Visits with others are also possible with the approval of the provincial prison director or the executing judge or the prison chief. Lawyers also have the right to visit prisoners, and this visit cannot be restricted or denied.