Zahedan Prison’s political prisoners face starvation, severed family contact, and rampant drug issues.
Iran Human Rights Society, Saturday, September 13, 2025 –Zahedan Prison stands as a stark symbol of human rights abuses in Iran. Authorities deliberately withhold meals and sever phone contact in the political ward. Furthermore, rampant drug trafficking and corruption plague the facility. These conditions target political prisoners, aiming to break their spirits. Reports highlight a dire crisis, with no judicial oversight. The international community must act swiftly to address the plight in Zahedan Prison.
Zahedan Prison’s Food Crisis Escalates
In recent weeks, Zahedan Prison officials halted hot midday meal distribution. Previously, prisoners shared one serving of ghormeh sabzi stew weekly. Now, even that stopped. Instead, three prisoners split a single can of tuna. Dinner meals vanished entirely, leaving inmates starving. Families suspect authorities enforce this to heighten physical and mental strain. This deliberate starvation tactic violates basic human rights. Consequently, prisoners weaken daily under these cruel conditions.
Severed Family Contact in Zahedan Prison
Zahedan Prison’s political ward lost all phone access recently. This cutoff isolates prisoners from families. Short calls once provided updates, but now families face total uncertainty. This tactic mirrors methods in other Iranian prisons to pressure political detainees. Cutting communication inflicts psychological torment. Therefore, it deepens the prisoners’ sense of abandonment. Families grow increasingly desperate for news. The regime’s strategy clearly aims to crush dissent.
Corruption and Drugs Ravage Zahedan Prison
Zahedan Prison reeks of systemic corruption. Reports expose officials’ roles in drug trafficking networks within the facility. Drugs circulate freely, endangering inmates’ health. Some prisoners face coercion to use drugs, worsening their physical and mental states. This environment reflects the prison’s failure to uphold basic standards. Furthermore, the lack of oversight allows corruption to thrive unchecked. Zahedan Prison’s conditions reveal a broken judicial system.
Health Crisis Deepens in Zahedan Prison
The absence of medical care compounds the crisis. No specialist doctors or psychologists serve the prison. Inmates lack access to treatment facilities. Forced drug use, driven by cellmate pressure or threats, heightens health risks. Malnutrition from inadequate food further weakens prisoners. Without independent oversight, these conditions spiral. Consequently, prisoners endure compounded torture through neglect and exploitation. Their survival hangs in the balance daily.
Human Rights Violations in Zahedan Prison
Zahedan Prison’s practices breach international laws. Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ensures adequate food and water. Eliminating meals defies this. Article 10 of the Civil and Political Covenant grants family contact rights. Phone cutoffs violate this. Article 12 demands proper healthcare, yet medical neglect persists. Article 7 and the Convention Against Torture ban cruel treatment. Starvation, isolation, and forced addiction constitute torture. These violations demand global attention.
Zahedan Prison: A Symbol of Repression
Zahedan Prison embodies Iran’s brutal approach to political prisoners. Overcrowding, torture, and medical neglect plague the facility. Ward 9, run by the intelligence agency, targets political and ideological detainees with starvation and sleep deprivation. The prison’s 2,000 inmates cram into spaces meant for far fewer. This overcrowding fuels disease and despair. Furthermore, officials’ involvement in drug networks reveals deep corruption. Zahedan Prison’s horrors mirror systemic regime policies.
The crisis in Zahedan Prison requires immediate response. Starvation policies, severed communication, and rampant corruption violate human dignity. Political prisoners suffer targeted abuse to silence dissent.
See also the below articles:
- Zinab Jalalian: Eighteenth Year in Prison, Deprived of Treatment
- Torture and Indefinite Detention of Abdul Salam Shemiri in Zahedan Prison
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