Narges Mohammadi's Letter: The Suffering of Security Prison Cells Exceeds the Torment of Prison

Narges Mohammadi, a civil activist and lawyer imprisoned, states in a 'letter' published by the 'Campaign of Mothers of Prisoners' that enduring solitary confinement in security prisons is significantly harder than being in prison itself, and many inmates may lose their physical and mental health for life. The website Kalemeh has published the letter, which reportedly was written by Ms. Mohammadi from prison; it begins by stating that there are 25 female political prisoners in prisons, 23 of whom have been sentenced to a total of 177 years in prison. According to Ms. Mohammadi, these 25 women have spent over 12 years in security cells, which is 'much heavier than prison punishment.' This human rights activist added that these cells are where defendants are held 'before the trial and during a period known as preliminary investigations,' which 'can last from one day to several years.' Narges Mohammadi emphasized that the Center for Human Rights Defenders, of which she is the spokesperson, and the Iranian Peace Council, where she is also the executive committee chair, have repeatedly published investigations and statements on this issue: 'Unfortunately, solitary confinement cells in security prisons still host critical women and men, political and civil activists.' Ms. Mohammadi states that one of the functions of solitary cells is to force defendants to confess and make 'baseless admissions' against themselves. This civil activist has described the environment of security cells as a 'sealed can' where 'a person is left in a void and dark, ambiguous space deprived of everything necessary for the sense and understanding of being human and preserving one's identity.' She added that the problems arising from solitary confinement can accompany inmates' physical and mental health issues for the rest of their lives. According to Narges Mohammadi, political defendants imprisoned for their civil activities and beliefs are 'held like dangerous terrorists' for an indefinite period in solitary confinement in security cells. Under Islamic Republic laws, holding prisoners in these cells is illegal. This letter, as stated by the Campaign of Mothers of Prisoners, was written in May at Evin Prison. Ms. Mohammadi has been sent to solitary confinement three times in recent years, resulting in her suffering from neurological diseases that have, in some cases, required hospitalization outside of prison. According to reports from late May, Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Salavati, sentenced Ms. Mohammadi to ten years in prison. She was convicted of 'collusion and conspiracy to commit a crime against national security,' 'propaganda against the regime,' and 'forming and managing an illegal group called Legam.' Mohammadi has repeatedly denied these charges. The Legam campaign is a civil initiative aimed at gradually combating the implementation of the death penalty in Iran and preventing the execution of minors. Meanwhile, Taghi Rahmani, Ms. Mohammadi's husband, stated that she is 'not the founder of the Legam group.' The UN Human Rights Office, human rights defenders, Reporters Without Borders, and a group of prominent civil and political figures from various countries have called for Narges Mohammadi's release. The U.S. representative to the United Nations also described Ms. Mohammadi's sentence as 'unjust' on Friday and stated that she should be released.