Yazd Central Prison: Judicial Officials Threaten Female Prisoners

Reports received from Yazd Central Prison indicate that two judicial officials entered the women’s ward, addressing several prisoners sentenced to death with insulting language and death threats. Following this incident, the physical condition of several prisoners has been reported as critical. This event occurs while reports of poor detention conditions, low food quality, and widespread restrictions in Yazd Prison had also been published previously.

Iran Human Rights Society, Friday, August 7, 2026 – Reports received from Yazd Prison indicate that on Wednesday, August 5, two judicial officials entered the women’s ward of this prison and subjected several female prisoners sentenced to death to threats and insults. According to this report, the threatening words of these two judicial officials caused severe psychological distress in the women’s ward, following which the physical condition of a number of prisoners turned critical. This event occurred under circumstances where multiple reports regarding the alarming condition of prisoners in Yazd Prison had also been published over recent months.

Information Box | Threatening of Female Prisoners in Yazd Prison

Title	Information
Location	Women’s Ward of Yazd Central Prison
Time	Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Individuals Present	Majid Jafari Nodoushan (Interrogator) and Sadeghian (Deputy Prosecutor of Yazd)
Targeted Individuals	A number of female prisoners sentenced to death in the quarantine section
Subject of Report	Verbal threats, insults, and creation of psychological pressure against prisoners
Reported Consequence	Deterioration of several prisoners’ health, including the fainting of a prisoner with a history of stroke
Previous Reports from Yazd Prison	Publication of reports regarding low food quality, expensive prison store, health problems, and restricted access to medical services
Core Human Rights Concern	Preserving the dignity of prisoners, physical and mental health, humane treatment of convicts, and prohibition of degrading behavior

Direct Threatening of Women Sentenced to Death in Yazd Prison

According to the report received, on Wednesday, August 5, Interrogator Majid Jafari Nodoushan, accompanied by Sadeghian, Deputy Prosecutor of Yazd, entered the women’s ward of Yazd Central Prison and announced that they intended to speak with security prisoners.

According to this report, after entering the quarantine section of the women’s ward, which is the holding area for a number of female prisoners sentenced to death, these two judicial officials addressed them with threatening and insulting sentences.

According to the report received, they told the prisoners:

“Your sentence is death. Your nature is like pigs and you are dirty like pigs. We know that if power falls into your hands, you will kill us; therefore, we will kill you first so that power does not fall into your hands.”

These statements, according to informed sources, were delivered in the presence of several female prisoners sentenced to death and caused the atmosphere of the ward to become severely tense.

Deterioration of Several Prisoners’ Health Following These Threats

According to information received, the psychological pressure resulting from this incident caused the physical condition of a number of prisoners to deteriorate.

Reports indicate that one of the female prisoners, who previously had a history of two strokes, suffered a panic attack and lost consciousness following these threats.

Additionally, the condition of another prisoner has been reported as extremely poor, and informed sources have reported concern regarding her physical state.

Up to the time of drafting this report, no official explanation regarding the condition of these prisoners or the reason for the presence of these two judicial officials in the women’s ward of Yazd Prison has been published.

Tense Atmosphere in the Women’s Ward of Yazd Prison

According to informed sources, following the presence of these two judicial officials, the atmosphere in the women’s ward has become severely security-heavy and tense.

The prisoners present in quarantine, especially women facing heavy sentences or death sentences, have been placed in conditions where fear of sentence implementation and psychological pressures have added to their situation.

Reports received show that verbal threats and the use of insulting language have had a significant impact on the morale of the prisoners and led to increased anxiety among them.

Previous Reports Regarding Conditions in Yazd Prison

This is not the first time that Yazd Prison makes headlines due to the detention conditions of prisoners.

Previously, reports regarding the unsuitable conditions of this prison had also been published, which among other things pointed to low quality and spoilage of food items, high prices at the prison store, restricted access of prisoners to basic facilities, and dissatisfaction with living conditions inside the prison.

Additionally, reports regarding restrictions on access to medical services for some prisoners, disciplinary pressures, and difficult holding conditions in various sections of the prison had been published; issues that have increased the concerns of human rights organizations regarding the condition of prisoners in Yazd Prison.

Legal Review of the Case of Female Prisoners in Yazd Prison Based on Domestic Laws

The dictatorial laws governing Iran in recent years have repeatedly been criticized by legal scholars and human rights organizations due to their conflict with fair trial standards, ambiguity in handling security cases, and widespread use of forced confessions. Reviewing this case does not imply an endorsement of these laws; rather, the objective is to show that even based on the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic, published reports regarding the treatment of female prisoners in Yazd Prison raise serious questions about the observance of their legal rights.

Legal Ambiguities of the Case

Based on reports received, two judicial officials entered the women’s ward of Yazd Prison and addressed a number of death-row prisoners with insulting language and death threats. Following this incident, at least two prisoners suffered physical complications and panic attacks.

If these reports are correct, the conduct attributed to these two judicial officials—in addition to creating psychological pressure on the prisoners—raises questions regarding the observance of human dignity, the limits of judicial authority in dealing with convicts, and the legal responsibility of prison officials in preserving the physical and mental health of prisoners.

On the other hand, death-row prisoners also retain legal rights until the execution of their sentence, and responsible authorities are obligated to preserve their security, health, and dignity.

Published reports also show that this event occurred under circumstances where reports regarding unsuitable holding conditions of prisoners, low food quality, health problems, and restricted access to medical services in Yazd Prison had also been published previously; a matter that adds to concerns regarding the conditions of this prison.

Relevant Legal Articles

Reviewing this case from the perspective of domestic laws recalls several important principles and regulations:

Article 22 of the Constitution: Considers the dignity, life, property, rights, residence, and occupation of individuals immune from violation, except in cases authorized by law.

Article 32 of the Constitution: Emphasizes adherence to legal regulations in the arrest and detention of individuals.

Article 38 of the Constitution: Forbids any form of torture or behavior aimed at coercing or pressuring individuals.

Article 39 of the Constitution: Forbids affronts to the dignity and honor of arrested, imprisoned, or exiled persons, considering it subject to punishment.

Executive Regulations of the Prisons Organization: Also obligates prison officials to preserve the human dignity of prisoners, ensure their physical and psychological safety, and prevent any degrading or harmful conduct.

Instances of Law Violation

Considering the published information, the most important legal concerns are:

Reports regarding the use of insulting and degrading terms against prisoners;

Reports regarding direct death threats against prisoners sentenced to death by judicial officials;

Creation of severe psychological pressure which, according to reports, led to the deterioration of several prisoners’ health;

Potential violation of the principle of preserving the dignity and honor of prisoners;

Questions regarding adherence to the legal duties of prison officials in preserving the physical and mental health of prisoners.

Reviewing the Case from the Perspective of Human Rights and International Laws

Published reports regarding the treatment of female prisoners in Yazd Prison, if true, also raise serious concerns from a human rights perspective.

The principle of human dignity, regardless of the type of charge or conviction of individuals, is among the most fundamental principles of human rights. Prisoners, including those sentenced to death, still retain the right to humane treatment, respect for personality, and physical and mental health.

Death threats, use of degrading language, and creation of an atmosphere of fear and terror in the prison environment—alongside previous reports regarding unsuitable holding conditions—can indicate an increase in psychological pressures on prisoners.

Furthermore, previous reports regarding low food quality, health problems, restricted access to medical services, and other issues of Yazd Prison paint a picture of a collection of human rights concerns regarding the holding conditions of prisoners in this prison.

Relevant International Documents

This case can be reviewed from the perspective of international human rights documents with the following articles and principles:

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Emphasizes the equality of human beings in dignity and rights.

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Forbids any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Emphasizes the necessity of humane and respectful treatment for all individuals deprived of their liberty.

Nelson Mandela Rules (UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners): Emphasize preserving the human dignity of prisoners, protecting their physical and mental health, and forbidding any degrading conduct or intimidation.

Instances of Human Rights Violations

Based on published information, the most important human rights concerns are: