Matleb Ahmadian, a political prisoner in Fashafuyeh Prison, faces life-threatening conditions as authorities deny urgent surgeries and medications
Iran Human Rights Society, Friday, July 11, 2025- Matleb Ahmadian, a Kurdish political prisoner, endures life-threatening health issues in Fashafuyeh Prison, highlighting Iran’s systemic denial of medical care to political detainees. Now in his 16th year of a 30-year sentence, Ahmadian urgently needs nine surgeries. Yet, prison authorities block his hospital transfer and withhold vital medications. This dire situation demands immediate action from human rights organizations and the international community. The ongoing neglect violates Iran’s legal obligations and international human rights standards, risking Ahmadian’s life.
Matleb Ahmadian’s Life-Threatening Medical Crisis
Ahmadian suffers from severe health conditions that require urgent intervention. His ailments include a diaphragmatic hernia, umbilical hernia, stomach reflux into the lungs, intestinal adhesion, gastrointestinal ulcers, and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Additionally, he experiences unstable blood pressure and an abnormal heart rate, peaking at 134 beats per minute. Doctors warn that these conditions could trigger cardiac arrest, stroke, or sudden death. Despite these critical diagnoses, authorities consistently deny him access to specialized medical facilities.
Denial of Vital Medications and Surgeries
Prison officials have blocked medication delivery four times, even though outside doctors prescribed urgent treatments. The prison doctor relies solely on strong painkillers, which temporarily ease Ahmadian’s pain but heighten risks of brain vessel rupture or cerebral hemorrhage. Furthermore, forensic medical authorities previously approved his temporary release for life-saving surgeries. However, Tehran’s prosecutor raised the bail to an unaffordable sum for Ahmadian’s family, effectively barring his treatment. This deliberate denial exacerbates his suffering and violates basic human rights.
Legal Violations Under Article 502
Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, Article 502, mandates halting punishment until a prisoner’s health stabilizes. Ahmadian’s critical condition clearly qualifies, yet Fashafuyeh Prison authorities ignore this legal obligation. Instead, they obstruct his access to healthcare, disregarding both domestic law and international standards. This inaction reflects a broader pattern of using medical neglect as a tool to silence political dissent in Iran.
Hunger Strike to Protest Inhumane Treatment
In April 2025, Ahmadian launched a hunger strike to protest the denial of his medications. He began another strike in May, underscoring his desperation. These acts highlight his fight for survival against a system that disregards his life. His protests challenge Iran’s judicial system to address its failures, but authorities remain unresponsive, leaving him in critical condition.
History of Torture and Unfair Sentencing
Security forces arrested Ahmadian on October 5, 2010, at age 25. He endured eight months of torture in Saqqez, Sanandaj, and Sardasht prisons, including beatings that fractured his vertebrae and ribs, dislocated his shoulder, and caused temporary paralysis. Interrogators left him naked in freezing conditions for 24 hours, exacerbating his injuries. Sentenced to 30 years in Minab Prison for alleged membership in the Komala Party, he later faced additional charges in 2018 for “complicity in murder” and “intentional assault,” adding eight years to his sentence. These convictions, issued by the Revolutionary Court, lack fair judicial standards, relying on coerced confessions and closed-door trials.
Fashafuyeh Prison’s Inhumane Conditions
Fashafuyeh Prison, also called Greater Tehran Penitentiary, is notorious for its dire conditions. It lacks proper medical facilities, ventilation, and hygiene. Political prisoners, like Ahmadian, are housed alongside common criminals, facing violence and neglect. Inmates endure inadequate food, limited access to clean water, and overcrowded cells. These conditions violate international standards for detention, amplifying the suffering of those like Ahmadian who require urgent care.
Revolutionary Court’s Role in Repression
The Revolutionary Court, which sentenced Ahmadian, operates as a tool of political repression. It denies access to independent lawyers, holds secret trials, and fails to distinguish between political and criminal offenses. International legal experts criticize these courts for extracting confessions through torture and ignoring due process. Ahmadian’s case exemplifies how these courts target dissenters, particularly ethnic minorities like Kurds, to suppress opposition.
Violations of International Human Rights Standards
Ahmadian’s treatment breaches several international principles:
- Article 5, Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Prohibits torture and inhuman treatment.
- Article 9, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Bans arbitrary detention and coercion.
- Article 10, ICCPR: Ensures humane treatment and fair trials.
- Article 14, ICCPR: Guarantees access to independent counsel and transparent courts.
Denying Ahmadian medical care and subjecting him to torture constitute cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, tantamount to torture under international law.
Urgent Call for Action
Matleb Ahmadian’s critical condition demands immediate intervention. Human rights organizations must pressure authorities to grant him medical furlough and access to surgeries. His case reflects a systemic issue: Iran’s deliberate denial of healthcare to political prisoners as a form of punishment. Without swift action, Ahmadian risks becoming another victim of neglect, joining countless others whose deaths went unreported due to lack of transparency.
Systemic Denial of Medical Care in Iran
Ahmadian’s plight is not isolated. Reports from 2025 document 34 political prisoners denied proper medical services. Prison officials falsify causes of death to evade accountability, while families fear retaliation for speaking out. This pattern of medical neglect amounts to a “slow and silent execution” of political detainees, violating international law.
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