Collective Transfer of Women Political Prisoners from Qarchak to Evin after Weeks in Critical Conditions
9-October-2025
Category: Prisoners
9 October 2025
News category: Prisoners –
Breathing in Confinement – Women political prisoners who had been transferred to Qarchak Varamin Prison after the Israeli military attack on Evin Prison and the destruction of parts of its facilities were collectively returned to Ward 6 of Evin Prison on Thursday, 9 October 2025.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Qarchak Varamin—repeatedly criticised by human-rights bodies for its inhumane conditions—lacked even minimum health and medical standards, and severe overcrowding created an emergency situation. Reports indicate that as a result, at least three women prisoners lost their lives: Somayeh Rashidi (political prisoner) and Jamileh Azizi and Soudabeh Asadi (prisoners convicted of financial offences).
Repeated power cuts, very poor-quality food, the presence of insects and vermin, and a serious shortage of basic sanitary facilities—including baths and toilets—constitute clear violations of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).
Despite these appalling conditions, systematic pressure on political prisoners—including security-driven case fabrication, restrictions on access to legal counsel, and ongoing threats—has continued at the hands of security agencies and the judiciary, representing a blatant violation of fundamental human rights, the right to a fair trial, and inherent human dignity.