Zinab Jalalian: Eighteenth Year in Prison, Deprived of Treatment

Zinab Jalalian enters her 18th year in prison, denied medical treatment for kidney issues and rashes. Authorities condition care on repentance.

Iran Human Rights Society, Saturday, September 22, 2025 – Zinab Jalalian, Iran’s sole female political prisoner with a life sentence, nears her 18th year behind bars. She endures critical health woes in Yazd Prison. Authorities deny her specialist care and hospital transfers. This denial stems from her refusal to repent. Furthermore, security teams pressure her relentlessly. Her story highlights grave human rights abuses. Activists worldwide urge immediate action for Zinab Jalalian’s release and treatment.

Zinab Jalalian’s Health Crisis Deepens

Zinab Jalalian suffers chronic kidney problems and flank pains. Recently, skin spots and rashes appeared on her face, shoulders, and chest. In early June 2024, severe pain forced her transfer to Yazd Central Prison’s infirmary. However, officials sent her back to her ward without a specialist exam. She only received basic aid there.

Close sources report no specialized tests occurred. Moreover, prison staff blocked any external hospital referral. This neglect worsens her condition daily. Therefore, her long-term health hangs in peril. Family members voice deep fears. Yet, authorities ignore their pleas. Zinab Jalalian’s body bears the toll of prolonged denial.

Treatment for Zinab Jalalian Tied to Repentance Letter

In May 2024, a Ministry of Intelligence team visited Zinab Jalalian twice. They demanded she write a repentance letter for medical access. She firmly rejected this. Zinab Jalalian stressed that treatment is her legal right. She called the officials’ tactics torture.

This pattern repeated in October 2023. Officials threatened to strip all basic rights if she showed no remorse. Therefore, they withheld care deliberately. Such coercion aims to break her spirit. However, Zinab Jalalian stands resolute. Her defiance underscores the regime’s harsh control over political prisoners.

Zinab Jalalian Faces Ongoing Medical Neglect

Zinab Jalalian battles multiple ailments now. Chronic kidney issues persist alongside new rashes. Flank pains intensify without proper diagnosis. Deprived of experts, she endures immense strain. Her family warns repeatedly about risks. Close contacts echo these concerns.

Prison officials show no response. Furthermore, exile transfers compound her isolation. Zinab Jalalian remains in Yazd Prison today. After 18 years, she has never enjoyed a single day of leave. This isolation threatens her survival. Activists highlight her plight globally. Therefore, international pressure mounts for Zinab Jalalian’s urgent care.

Human Rights Violations in Zinab Jalalian’s Imprisonment

Zinab Jalalian’s case exemplifies systematic abuses against political prisoners. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights bans arbitrary detention. It guarantees basic rights. Yet, denying her treatment and hospital access breaks this rule.

Article 10 demands humane prison conditions. Appropriate medical care falls under this. Officials violate it through neglect. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights forbids torture. Psychological threats over care amount to indirect torture. Therefore, Zinab Jalalian suffers egregious breaches. Her story demands global scrutiny and reform.

Background on Political Prisoner Zinab Jalalian

Zinab Jalalian entered the world in 1982 in Dim Qeshlaq village, Maku, West Azerbaijan Province. Security agents arrested her violently on March 9, 2008. They stopped her on the Kermanshah-Sanandaj road at gunpoint. Beatings followed immediately. Agents then took her to Kermanshah’s Information Headquarters detention center.

There, she faced brutal mental and physical tortures. Cellmates recall her fainting repeatedly during sessions. Zinab Jalalian later described floggings on her feet. Unable to stand, interrogators forced her to walk the corridor. Then, they beat her again. Such horrors marked her early captivity. She endured transfers to Sanandaj Prison soon after.

Zinab Jalalian’s Unfair Trial and Sentencing

In November 2008, Judge Moradi from Kermanshah Revolutionary Court Branch 1 presided. He sentenced Zinab Jalalian to hanging without a defense lawyer. Charges included armed action against the regime and weapon possession. Propaganda for opposition groups also featured. The court labeled it “Moharebeh,” or waging war against God.

Branch 4 of the Kermanshah Appeal Court upheld this in late 2008. Ali-Mohammad Roshani led the panel. Advisor Mohammad-Hassan Movahhed joined. However, in October 2011, her death sentence changed to life imprisonment. Over 18 years, Zinab Jalalian shuttled between prisons nationwide. Security pressures never eased.

In February 2010, Kermanshah officials moved her to Evin Prison’s Ward 209. They sought a forced televised interview. Zinab Jalalian resisted fiercely. Therefore, they returned her to Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah. Her unyielding stance defined her ordeal.

Tortures Endured by Zinab Jalalian

Zinab Jalalian faced handcuffs and leg irons during interrogations. Repeated cable whippings targeted her feet. Interrogators threatened rape often. In one session, an interrogator menaced sexual assault. When she protested, he struck her head with an iron rod. Zinab Jalalian lost consciousness from the blow.

Such violence scarred her deeply. Furthermore, officials pressured her for camera confessions. She refused every time. Therefore, they escalated tactics. Zinab Jalalian’s resilience shone through. Her experiences reveal the regime’s cruelty toward dissidents.

Forced Transfers and Pressures on Zinab Jalalian

Authorities imprisoned Zinab Jalalian in Dizelabad Prison for a period. In November 2014, they shifted her to Khoy Prison without notice to family or lawyer. Then, on May 1, 2021, a sudden move took her to Qarchak Varamin Prison.

On June 25, 2020, during a hunger strike, Zinab Jalalian transferred from Qarchak to Kerman Prison. She entered solitary confinement there. Prior, she caught COVID-19 in Qarchak. Her health turned critical in isolation.

After three months in solitary, on September 22, 2020, officials moved her to Kermanshah Prison. In a brief November 10, 2020, call, Zinab Jalalian told family of her Yazd Prison transfer. Multiple shifts followed.

Currently, Zinab Jalalian resides in Yazd Prison. After 18 years, she lacks even one day of medical leave. These exiles aim to break her. However, she persists. Her case calls for worldwide solidarity.

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