Human Rights Watch Statement on the Suppression of Political Prisoners in Iran with Medical Deprivation

Human Rights Watch states that reports from Iranian prisons indicate that the Iranian government uses the deprivation of medical services for political prisoners as a tool for their suppression. In a statement released on Friday, December 14, it was announced that this deprivation has worsened the conditions of political prisoners, causing "unnecessary suffering" and in some cases "preventable deaths." The statement highlights examples of the conditions of female political prisoners, noting that prison officials, particularly in Evin Prison, have refused to provide adequate medical services to their inmates while being unaccountable for these actions. Human Rights Watch referred to the dire situation of 72-year-old civil activist Raheleh Rahimipour, who is imprisoned in the women's ward of Evin Prison, stating that despite suffering from a brain tumor, she lacks access to specialized medical care. Sediqeh Voseqi called for international organizations to intervene for the release of Raheleh Rahimipour. This political prisoner has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times in recent years, and her latest sentence of five years for "propaganda against the regime" and "collusion and conspiracy" was confirmed, leading to her transfer to Evin Prison on November 18 of last year. The organization also reported on the health status of Zeinab Jalalian, a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, stating that Ms. Jalalian, currently in Yazd Central Prison, has only been sent to the hospital once since this summer despite severe pain on her right side, and that she underwent a CT scan while "handcuffed and shackled." The statement also mentioned the situation of Vrisheh Moradi, another Kurdish political prisoner held in Evin Prison, noting that despite her deteriorating health after being sentenced to death in December, she has been denied transfer to a hospital and medical tests. Human Rights Watch also referred to the case of Mahvash Sabet, a 73-year-old Baha'i prisoner, who is set to undergo "open-heart surgery" in the coming days. According to this organization, Ms. Sabet was allowed to be transferred to the hospital for angiography and surgery only after a long delay. In this context, Narges Mohammadi, a political prisoner and winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, was finally granted a three-week medical leave on December 5 after repeated denials of access to medical services despite serious health issues. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized the enforcement of prison sentences for ideological and political prisoners despite their deteriorating health. So far, several political prisoners and detained protesters, including poet Bakhtash Abtin, as well as a number of ordinary crime prisoners in the detention centers and prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, have lost their lives due to reasons such as "lack of medical attention," "prevention of hospital transfer," and "denial of medical leave."