Asghar Sepehri, brother of Fatemeh Sepehri—a monarchist political prisoner—shared a detailed report on X about the dire conditions faced by his sister and other political prisoners, including Zahra Kohnehkar (known as Sepand Azar) and Farzaneh Gharehassanlou, who were detained during Iran’s national uprising.
In his post, Sepehri revealed that starting in December, coinciding with the fall of Bashar al-Assad, severe restrictions have been imposed on women’s wards 5 and 6, where political prisoners are held. Prisoners are now only allowed outdoor time, medical visits, or other essential activities under strict guard supervision. Outdoor access has been reduced to two one-hour slots: one in the morning and one in the afternoon, at fixed times.
After 45 days of isolation in Ward 5, Fatemeh Sepehri was joined by Farzaneh Gharehassanlou and Zahra Kohnehkar, who were transferred from Ward 6. However, non-political offenders were also moved into Ward 5, including one inmate designated as the “warden of the ward,” tasked with monitoring political prisoners.
Farzaneh Gharehassanlou, who hasn’t seen her son in six months or her husband in over a year and a half, requested phone privileges due to the lack of in-person visits. Her request was denied by prison judge Navid Tabatabai.
Fatemeh Sepehri has reported ongoing issues with phone calls, citing frequent disconnections caused by a sensitive monitoring system that cuts calls if certain words are used. Additionally, a staff member deliberately interrupts conversations. In protest, Sepehri, Gharehassanlou, and Kohnehkar have decided to stop using the phone entirely.
Mr. Sepehri concluded his post by holding Jamileh Rahimzadeh (head of the women’s section), Navid Tabatabai (prison judge), Hadi Esmailzadegan (head of Vakilabad Prison), and Ali Khamenei personally responsible for any harm to these political prisoners.
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