Shakila Monfared Transferred to Prison 'By Force' on International Day Against Torture; Informed Source: She Went to Court for Medical Leave Extension

On the International Day Against Torture, an informed source told Voice of America that Shakila Monfared, a political prisoner, was violently arrested on Wednesday, July 6, during the fourth day of her five-day medical leave. She had gone to the court to request an extension of her leave for further treatment. According to a source close to Monfared's family, she visited Mehrad Hospital with her father to follow up on medical tests and realized that five days was insufficient for her medical needs, prompting her to seek an extension at the court. The informed source stated that while waiting for her test results, she approached Deputy Prosecutor Ms. Shaghaghi to request the extension. During this time, the deputy prosecutor called the interrogator for instructions, who ordered that since she was already there, she should be transferred to prison. The source added that after Monfared protested and resisted this order, several soldiers were brought in to forcibly take her away. The source also noted that while Iranian officials claim to uphold modesty and suppress women over issues like mandatory hijab and interactions with non-mahrams, male soldiers forcibly took Shakila Monfared away. Monfared, a monarchist political prisoner in Evin Prison, had been granted a five-day medical leave on July 2 after a year of delay to address her health issues, and according to prison officials, this leave was supposed to last until July 7. Previously, a source close to Monfared had stated that despite her right to three days of leave per month, prison authorities had opposed granting her leave, making this her first leave since her surgery last year. Monfared was transferred from Evin Prison to Taleghani Hospital in Tehran last summer on a one billion tomans bail for gallbladder surgery and was returned to prison after the operation. Shakila Monfared, a constitutionalist political prisoner, has faced multiple fabricated charges during her imprisonment since February 2021. The prison authorities' prevention of her access to medical treatment comes amid reports of several prisoners dying due to lack of medical care or delays in treatment in Iranian prisons. According to the latest monthly report by HRANA on human rights violations in Iran, prisoners have faced inadequate medical attention in at least 41 cases.