Evin Prison: Female political prisoners no longer have visitation and telephone rights

According to reports obtained by the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), severe punitive measures have been imposed on female political prisoners in Evin Prison. These measures include the suspension of telephone calls and personal visits for 17 inmates for a period of one to three months. In addition, a new case has emerged involving the conviction of an Iranian woman, Elham Ostadi.

According to recent information, 17 female political prisoners in the women's section of Evin Prison were deprived of phone calls and visitation rights. This measure followed two protest movements inside the prison on July 23 and August 6, 2024, in response to the imposition of a death sentence on Pakhshan Azizi and the execution of Reza Rasaei.

The following 17 prisoners are among those affected by this suspension:

• Elaheh Fouladi
• Pakistani Azizi
• Narges Mohammadi
• Zahra Safaei
• Mariam Asadollahi
• Azam Khezri Javadi
• Sarina Jahani
• Mahboubeh Rezai
• Reyhaneh Ansari
• Sakineh Parvaneh
• Varisheh Moradi
• Golrokh Iraee
• Muslim Pariyoush
• Samaneh Asghari
• Hurray Nikbakht
• Mariam Yahyawi
• Sanaz Yekta

Of these prisoners, Elaheh Fouladi suffered the longest suspension: she was banned from receiving telephone calls or in-person visits for three months starting August 17, 2024. Others, including Pakhshan Azizi, Reyhaneh Ansari, Narges Mohammadi, Mahboubeh Rezai and Golrokh Iraee, were suspended for two months, while the remaining prisoners were suspended for only one month.

Conviction of Elham Ostadi:

On the same day, reports also emerged of the conviction of Elham Estadi, a 30-year-old woman from Iranshahr. Ostadi was found guilty by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Zahedan and sentenced to one year in prison. Her charges stem from a post she made on Instagram protesting the rape of a Baloch girl, an act that authorities considered to be spreading dissent.

Ostadi had originally expressed her solidarity with protesters condemning the rape of a 15-year-old girl on her Instagram account on August 21, 2023. Although she did not participate in street protests, she was arrested in Chabahar by security forces without a judicial warrant. Her arrest was marked by violence and she was initially held in a secret intelligence facility before being transferred to the Central Prison in Zahedan, where she spent 10 days in solitary confinement.

She was provisionally released on September 2, 2023, after posting a bail of 200 million tomans. The charges against Ostadi included “propaganda against the regime” and “disturbing public opinion,” for which she was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine, respectively. Before her arrest, Ostadi was an English teacher.