Brave Iranian Student Exposes the Horrors of Women’s Prison in Iran
In a harrowing account, an Iranian political prisoner named Farideh has shed light on the appalling and torturous conditions inside one of Iran’s most notorious women’s prisons. Farideh, a 25-year-old university student and member of the Iranian resistance group MEK, spent over a year at Qarchak prison in Varamin, located about 40 miles south of Tehran. She was arrested for her involvement in spraying graffiti against the country’s current regime.
According to Farideh, she endured a lack of due process, torture, beatings, interrogations, and prolonged periods of solitary confinement before being housed in an abysmal public cell at Qarchak. Human rights organizations and Iranian dissidents have long highlighted the prison’s unsanitary conditions, rampant disease, and instances of torture, murder, and rape.
A major issue within the prison, Farideh explained, was severe overcrowding, making it difficult for prisoners to breathe. Additionally, the cells were filthy, the toilets were limited or inaccessible, and there was a lack of beds, forcing prisoners to sit for days without the ability to rest. Farideh witnessed stories of other women who had endured even worse situations.
Prior to her transfer to Qarchak, Farideh spent several months in solitary confinement at one of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) detention centers. Interrogations occurred every few days, with authorities pressuring her to confess her activities with the MEK. Despite enduring beatings and psychological torture, she refused to succumb to their demands. Many other female protesters also faced similar treatment following the September 2022 uprising.
Farideh highlighted the case of a fellow prisoner who was assaulted and attempted to take her own life but was ignored by guards who refused to transfer her to the prison clinic. She emphasized the lack of respect for human rights in Iranian prisons, particularly under the rule of the mullahs. Many journalists and activists have been unjustly imprisoned, subjected to violence, and subjected to brutal treatment by the authorities.
The crimes for which female prisoners are incarcerated in Iran vastly differ from those in the free world. Women can be jailed for simply disobeying the regime’s dress code or resisting the immoral behaviors of the morality police. In political cases, participation in any form of activity protesting the regime’s rule can lead to imprisonment. Farideh also described the case of a prisoner who had received a 16-year prison sentence for her involvement in a demonstration and her affiliation with the MEK.
The 25-year-old student’s release comes at a time when tensions between Israel and Iran-supported Hamas are escalating. Farideh called for international attention and urged governments, particularly those in the UK, US, and the West, to reconsider their policy of appeasement towards Iran. Instead, she argued, they should support those who resist the dictatorship and take a firm stand against the mullahs. She emphasized the importance of recognizing the right to self-defense and resistance in order to achieve freedom, democracy, and peace in Iran and the wider region.
Farideh’s testimony sheds light on the tragedies endured by many political prisoners, particularly women, in Iran. Her account serves as a reminder that the struggle for human rights and justice continues within the country and requires international support to bring about meaningful change.
