Unsuccessful Attempt by Authorities to Forcibly Transfer Saeed Masouri, Veteran Political Prisoner, to Unknown Location
16-July-2025
Category: Prisoners
16 July 2025
News Group: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement – According to credible sources inside Ghezel Hesar Prison, on Wednesday morning, Ministry of Intelligence agents launched a sudden raid on Ward 4 of the political prisoners’ section and attempted to transfer veteran political prisoner Saeed Masouri to an undisclosed location without prior notice and through the use of force.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, this action, lacking any clear legal basis and involving physical violence, was met with strong objection from other political prisoners, leading to significant tension within the ward. Although Mr Masouri was initially removed from the ward, the prisoners’ swift and coordinated response forced the agents to return him. Nevertheless, concerns about the recurrence of such actions remain serious.
In response to the incident, political prisoners in other wards of Ghezel Hesar Prison also protested these repressive measures and the ongoing security policies targeting political detainees by holding sit-ins and chanting slogans.
Saeed Masouri, one of the longest-held political prisoners in Iran, has been imprisoned for over 25 years without a single day of furlough or access to specialised medical facilities outside the prison. He is in poor physical condition and has been denied the most basic legal and human rights, including access to medical care.
The continued detention of Mr Masouri without appropriate medical treatment stands in clear violation of Iran’s domestic laws, including the executive regulations of the Prisons Organisation and the principles enshrined in the Constitution. It also breaches international human rights standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Such conduct constitutes a clear case of arbitrary detention, inhuman treatment, and a violation of the right to life and human dignity.