A group of prisoners at Urmia Central Prison has released an open letter addressed to the head of the Iranian Prisons Organization and human rights organizations, reporting the existence of a 'secret ward' in the prison and the suicide of several inmates in protest against the harsh conditions. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, 39 signatories of the letter initially spoke of a 'secret ward' consisting of 'two 30-square-meter rooms,' one referred to as 'secure ward' and the other as 'special ward.' The letter states that while the capacity of each of these rooms is only 10 individuals, currently, the population of each of these two wards is double their capacity. The prisoners held in these two wards, transferred there for 'punishment,' are deprived of visitation rights and have 'limited' opportunities to contact their families only in the secure ward. The letter mentions that repeated requests from these prisoners for family visits have been rejected by Payman Khanzadeh, the prison chief, resulting in several inmates committing suicide 'in protest against the harsh conditions.' Twenty prisoners in the secure ward and 19 in the special ward have stated that they do not even have space to sleep and have called for attention to this situation and its reflection among the public and human rights organizations. This protest from the group of prisoners in Urmia comes amid reports from human rights sources that due to the opposition of the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic, the medical treatment process of Matlab Ahmadian, a political prisoner, has been left incomplete, and he was returned to Evin Prison from Tehran Pars Hospital on Wednesday, May 23. According to the HRANA news agency, Matlab Ahmadian suffers from multiple illnesses, including stomach and pancreatic cancer, testicular infection, and spinal injuries. Amnesty International reported in a 2022 report that at least 96 prisoners died in the 1990s in Iran, citing 'preventing or delaying the urgent transfer of prisoners to hospitals' as a primary reason for these deaths. The report emphasized that impunity has allowed prison officials to continue 'depriving dying prisoners of medical care.'
Open Letter from Prisoners of the 'Secret Ward' in Urmia Prison: Several Have Committed Suicide; We Have No Sleeping Space or Right to Visit
Prisoners at Urmia Central Prison have issued an open letter revealing the existence of a secret ward where conditions are dire, leading to multiple suicides. They are calling for intervention from human rights organizations as they face punishment and deprivation of visitation rights. This situation highlights ongoing human rights abuses within Iranian prisons.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Prisoners in Urmia report suicides and harsh conditions in secret ward, calling for attention from authorities.
- prisoners protest Iranian Prisons Organization, human rights organizations
- Kurdistan Human Rights Network report Iranian Prisons Organization
- Payman Khanzadeh reject prisoners
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The situation in Urmia Prison underscores the urgent need for reform in Iran's prison system.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%