Report: Horrific assaults against female prisoners in "Dolatabad" in Isfahan

An investigative report published by the outlet "IranWire" has revealed shocking details of grave human rights abuses including physical and psychological torture and inhumane detention conditions inflicted upon female inmates at the Dolatabad Women’s Prison in the Iranian city of Isfahan, alongside the deliberate denial of access to essential medical services.

The report, which was based on interviews with relatives of political prisoners and informed sources, conveyed testimonies about the existence of a special wing in the prison that the detainees call the "dark room"; where the prisoners are held for several days in complete darkness with their hands bound, deprived of water, food, and access to toilets.

A former prisoner recounted a horrifying incident, indicating that after long hours of starvation, the guards threw sugar cubes stained with urine on the ground and forced the prisoners to pick them up with their mouths.

The investigation also documented other brutal torture methods during the interrogation, including hanging the female prisoners by their feet and beating them with chair legs and shoes, causing some of them to suffer broken bones.

The prison administration broadcasted the sounds of torture through the air conditioning channels to other cells as a tool for psychological pressure and intimidation, in addition to forcing some female prisoners to sign statements denying that they had been subjected to any torture after the interrogation.

The report highlighted specific cases, such as the sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, who were arrested for their participation in the protests; the extent of their physical injuries was so severe that their mother could not recognize them during the first visit.

The report also mentioned the case of detainee Somayeh Afshar, who was tortured in front of her son, Ali Reza Sabahei, while the latter was pressured in front of his mother to extract coerced confessions that later led to his execution, while his mother remains in detention.

In terms of daily life inside the prison, the investigation pointed to a severe overcrowding crisis and acute malnutrition in the general wings, as well as a severe shortage of sanitary facilities; the rooms designated for 24 people accommodate up to 67 female prisoners, while requests for transfers to medical centers are continuously denied despite the deteriorating health conditions of many inmates.

ANHA