In an open letter published on 2 March 2021, eight political prisoners in the women’s ward of Iran’s notorious Evin Prison spoke of their concern at the total lack of any attention to the health and safety of the inmates.  They expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the family and loved ones of a male counterpart, Mr. Behnam Mahjoubi, who in February died while under detention from a condition stemming from the authorities’ flagrant disregard for the rules, regulations and protocols that govern the holding of prisoners of conscience sentenced for non-violent offences.  The letter protested the gross violations of political prisoners’ fundamental rights currently taking place in Iran.

The courageous signatories explicitly condemned the authorities’ negligence and delayed treatment of Mr. Mahjoubi, originally imprisoned for being a member of the Gonabadi Dervish Order, who was belatedly transferred from Evin Prison to Loqman Hospital in Tehran on 13 February, due to acute untreated medical drug poisoning, where he died on 21 February.

The eight women political prisoners who put their names to the open letter were: Maryam Akbari Monfared, Alieh Motalebzadeh, Raheleh Asl Ahmadi, Hadith Sabouri, Zeinab Hamrang, Shiva Ismaili, Parisa Rafiei and Athena Daemi.

The letter highlighted the routine depriving of prisoners from their basic rights – including the prison authorities’ refusal to grant leave for family reunion, parole, and the commutation of sentences; neglecting to provide proper medical care and treatment; as well as the repeated and widespread detention and ill-treatment of activists, despite the stipulations of the relevant health protocols pertaining to them.

CODIR repeats its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience currently held by the authorities of the theocratic regime in Iran.