A detainee of the nationwide protests in Mashhad reports widespread arrests, severe overcrowding in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, and pressure for forced confessions
Iran Human Rights Society, Thursday, February 12, 2026 – According to information received from one of the detainees of the nationwide protests of 2025-2026 in Mashhad who has recently been released, the number of arrests has been so extensive that many teenagers and young people aged 18 and 19 are being held in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad alongside ordinary criminals.
Unprecedented Overcrowding in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad
According to this detainee, the wards of Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad are severely overcrowded with detainees related to the nationwide protests. He says the capacity of the prison wards is completely full, and there is no more space available.
As a result of this overcrowding, detainees from the nationwide protests are being held in the same location as those convicted of ordinary crimes. This situation in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad has caused concern among families.
This source adds that the high number of arrests during the nationwide protests has effectively turned Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad into a place holding a massive number of young people.
Widespread Arrests Following the Nationwide Protests
This individual’s account indicates that the wave of arrests during the nationwide protests of 2025-2026 has been extremely widespread. Many young people have been arrested without any specific evidence or documentation.
According to him, arrests in Mashhad have been carried out on a large scale, and Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad has been one of the main locations for transferring detainees from the nationwide protests. These widespread arrests have continued after the peak of the nationwide protests.
Based on this account, in the days following the height of the nationwide protests, repeated transfers to Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad have taken place. This trend reflects the high volume of arrests during the nationwide protests.
Torture for Forced Confessions in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad
This detainee says that the young people held in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad are being pressured to extract forced confessions. He emphasizes that many of them have no evidence or documentation against them.
According to him, detainees from the nationwide protests in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad have been subjected to beatings and torture to force them into false confessions. These pressures are applied with the aim of creating fear and preventing the repetition of nationwide protests.
He adds that similar cases of torture have been reported in temporary detention centers before transfer to Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad. This approach is described as part of the policy for dealing with the nationwide protests.
Conditions of Detention for 18- and 19-Year-Old Young People
According to this account, in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad, a large number of detainees from the nationwide protests are young people aged 18 and 19. These individuals are being held alongside ordinary criminals.
According to this person, the detention conditions in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad are difficult for these young people. High overcrowding, psychological pressure, and judicial uncertainty are among the reported problems.
He says that many of these young people have been arrested solely for being present at the nationwide protests, and the process of handling their cases is not transparent.
Final Message from a Detainee
This detainee, who was imprisoned for a period in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad, at the end of his account refers to the prevailing atmosphere among the detainees.
One of the detainees says: “Khamenei and his guards should get lost from Iran. We will no longer remain silent and will return to the streets again. Khamenei, by killing our friends and filling the prisons, has dug his own grave.”
Widespread Violations of the Rights of Detainees from the Nationwide Protests in Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad
Reports concerning Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad indicate violations of several fundamental human rights principles.
- Violation of the prohibition of torture: Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
- Violation of the prohibition of arbitrary detention: Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Detention without legal grounds is prohibited.
- Violation of the right to a fair trial: Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Every individual has the right to defense and a fair hearing.
See also the below articles:
- 35 more prisoners were executed in various prisons during the past three weeks in Iran
- Extralegal and Widespread Arrests in Khuzestan Coinciding with Nationwide Protests
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