By Staff Writer
Iran Human Rights Monitor has produced an in-depth report about the ghastly conditions of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, where over 15,000 people are currently detained, including many peaceful activists, journalists, intellectuals and human rights lawyers.
The report, which you can find here, has been summarised in this article.
Wards of Evin Prison
This section will outlay some of the wards that are most linked to horrific abuses.
Ward 209: This is the worst ward in the prison as up to 800 inmates are detained here under torture at any one time. The 80 cells are all solitary, but due to prison overcrowding, up to 10 people are forced into each cell. The basement houses a torture room, when prisoners are flogged with cables, electrocuted, or even hung from the ceiling by their feet or hands.
Ward 240: Controlled by the security and intelligence units. Again, cells designed for one person, are routinely filled by six or seven people.
Ward 2a: Controlled by the Revolutionary Guards Corps Intelligence Department. Political prisoners are blindfolded whenever they are taken out of their cells.
The Methadone Ward: In this giant cell, CCTV is installed to monitor inmates at all times, offering no privacy, but inmates are also prevented from leaving at any time, even for breaks.
Women’s Ward: All of the windows are sealed, which deprives the inmates of sunlight and ventilation, making their illnesses worse. There is no medical facility and it may take several months for inmates to get treatment.
Ward 7: Designed to hold prisoners convicted of financial crimes, but many political prisoners are housed here. Has a capacity of 200 inmates, but currently holds over 700. Lacks ventilation, warm water, and natural light.
Food
Most of the food given to prisoners is barely edible, often rotten and filled with mouse faeces, but the prisoners often have no choice but the eat it. Some prisoners who can afford it will buy overpriced food from the prison store.
If prisoners complain about the malnutrition, guards will threaten them with solitary confinement
Medical Care
Many prisoners are deprived of medical care, putting them in grave danger, in order to punish them or force them to make false confessions.
Medical leave for sick patients who need to visit the hospital is also rare and often only allowed when it is too late.
According to Amnesty International, the Iranian Regime will often downplay the seriousness of medical problems by treating things like cancer with painkillers.
One doctor, Shahriar Pourfarzam, is even present during interrogations so that the prisoner is kept alive for more torture.
