Iranian teachers’ union activist Masoud Farhikhteh suffers third illegal transfer to solitary confinement in Karaj Central Prison after backing “Tuesdays No to Executions” and launching hunger strike.
Iran Human Rights Society, Tuesday, December 25, 2021 – Iranian prison authorities once again moved teachers’ union activist Masoud Farhikhteh to solitary confinement on November 24, 2024. This marks the third punitive transfer in less than 100 days. Guards acted immediately after he published an open letter from inside Karaj Central Prison supporting the nationwide “Tuesdays No to Executions” campaign and announced a hunger strike.
Pattern of Repeated Punishment for Activism
Masoud Farhikhtehcurrently serves a reduced sentence of three years, six months, and one day. However, prison officials repeatedly isolate him to break his spirit and silence his voice. The first transfer happened on October 2, 2024 — just one day after he released a public statement criticizing prison conditions. Family pressure and the symbolism of International Teachers’ Day on October 13 forced authorities to return him to the general ward.
The relief lasted only weeks. On November 8, 2024, guards dragged him back to solitary confinement. They kept him there until November 16. Then, on November 24, Masoud Farhikhteh published another powerful letter. He condemned the wave of executions across Iran and declared full solidarity with the “Tuesdays No to Executions” movement. He also began a dry hunger strike the same day. Within hours, prison officials responded by transferring him to solitary confinement for the third time.
Reports from inside the prison confirm that none of these transfers followed legal procedures. No judge signed any order. No disciplinary hearing took place. Authorities simply punish him for speaking out.
Arrest Timeline and Escalating Repression
Security forces arrested Masoud Farhikhteh on September 15, 2024, while he attended a routine meeting of the Teachers’ Union Coordination Council in Shahreza, Isfahan province. Two days later, on September 17, agents moved him to Police Station 14 in Karaj. Handcuffed and shackled, he entered Karaj Central Prison on October 19, 2024.
In August 2024, Branch 12 of the Alborz Provincial Court of Appeal cut his original six-year sentence to four years, one month, and 17 days. Yet the court kept harsh additional penalties: a two-year ban on leaving Iran, a complete ban on union membership, and travel restrictions in six provinces — Alborz, Tehran, Qazvin, Lorestan, Kurdistan, and Isfahan.
Life Inside Solitary Confinement
People close to Masoud Farhikhteh describe terrible conditions in the solitary wing. Cells measure less than six square meters. Guards allow only ten minutes of fresh air per day, sometimes none at all. They block all phone calls and family visits. Prisoners receive no books, no radio, and no medical care unless they collapse.
Prolonged isolation causes deep psychological damage. Former prisoners report panic attacks, severe depression, and memory loss after just weeks in these cells. Human rights experts classify stays longer than 15 days as torture.
International Law Violations Continue
Iranian authorities openly break multiple binding treaties and declarations:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5 bans cruel and degrading treatment. Experts recognize prolonged solitary confinement as psychological torture.
- Article 9 forbids arbitrary detention or punishment without legal basis.
- Article 10 guarantees the right to defend oneself and speak freely.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran ratified, adds stronger protections:
- Article 7 explicitly prohibits torture and inhuman punishment.
- Article 9 demands due process before any change in detention conditions.
- Article 10 requires humane treatment and respect for prisoner dignity.
- Article 19 protects freedom of opinion and expression — the exact right Masoud Farhikhteh exercised when he wrote his letters.
See also the below articles:
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: The Brutal Truth of Violence Against Women in Iran
- 96th Week of “Tuesdays No to Execution” Campaign Unites 55 Iranian Prisons
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