Five Political Prisoners in Qazalhessar Demand Immediate Release of Nahid Shirpichesh and Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi

Five political prisoners held in Qazalhessar prison reacted to the "oppressive and inhumane" treatment against Nahid Shirpichesh and Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi by issuing a statement on Tuesday, July 2, calling for the unconditional release of these two female political prisoners. A copy of the statement reached Voice of America, which described the continued detention of Nahid Shirpichesh, the mother of the deceased activist Pouya Bakhtiari who is imprisoned in Zanjan Central Prison, and Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi, a political prisoner in Evin who is pregnant, as a "clear violation of human rights" and emphasized that continued detention would "cause additional harm to their lives and mental health." According to reports received by Voice of America, Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi, who was pregnant during her two-month detention, is currently in "difficult conditions" in Evin prison, with her due date approaching in a few weeks. The signatories of the statement, including Reza Mohammadi, Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, Ahmadreza Haeri, Reza Salmanzadeh, and Mostafa Ramazani, emphasized that "given the increasing repression in society and the subsequent pressure in prisons against political prisoners and their families, as well as the escalating oppression and restrictions on freedom-seeking activists, we are unfortunately still witnessing reports of the violation of the rights and human dignity of protesting citizens and political prisoners by security and judicial institutions that seek to instill fear in society." They stated: "In the latest case, based on reports, we learned that these oppressive and inhumane behaviors have been directed against two female political prisoners and the mother of a grieving activist. First, regarding Mrs. Nahid Shirpichesh, the mother of the late Pouya Bakhtiari, who has been in exile in Zanjan prison for a long time and has endured difficult conditions, she has faced insults, beatings, and inhumane treatment. On the other hand, in the women's section of Evin prison, Mrs. Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi, another political prisoner, is also in very poor physical condition, and the imposition of these conditions is occurring while this imprisoned woman is pregnant." The signatories of this statement asserted: "Undoubtedly, the continuation of such behaviors towards female political prisoners is a clear violation of human rights and will cause additional harm to their lives and mental health." They emphasized: "We, the political prisoners of Qazalhessar prison, in support of these esteemed women and to end their pain and suffering, demand their unconditional release and that of all political prisoners in Iran." According to another report received by Voice of America, Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi and Behfar Lalehzari, a royalist political couple, have been sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison on charges of "conspiracy and collusion against internal security and propaganda against the regime." A source informed Voice of America that Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeigi was pregnant at the time of her arrest and transfer to prison, with only a short time remaining until her delivery. However, judicial authorities are preventing this political prisoner from being released or granted leave to give birth, and it is possible that her baby will be "born in prison." An informed source described Ms. Ahmadkhanbeigi's condition as "chaotic" and stated that she is in a bad situation due to the poor prison conditions and pressures imposed by officials. In recent days, Mona Bakhtiari, Nahid Shirpichesh's daughter, reported an assassination attempt on her mother and her beating in prison, stating that the judicial and intelligence authorities of the Islamic Republic have asked her to cooperate with them in exchange for agreeing to grant her mother leave. Additionally, see: Mona Bakhtiari, announcing the assassination attempt on her mother Nahid Shirpichesh in prison, called for the immediate release of her relatives. Pressure on political prisoners by the Islamic Republic in Iran has been repeatedly reported by international human rights bodies. Furthermore, the United States has consistently condemned the widespread human rights violations by the Islamic Republic and criticized the Iranian government's actions in this regard. Abram Paley, the Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Iran, has called for the release of "all prisoners" who are "unjustly imprisoned in Iran." Abram Paley emphasized: "No one should be behind bars for exercising their human rights and enjoying fundamental freedoms."