Report on the Latest Situation of Maryam Ebrahimvand in Qarchak Prison; Continued Deprivation of Contact
Maryam Ebrahimvand, a writer, filmmaker and film producer, has been deprived of having a telephone card and communicating with her family for approximately one month. She has protested to prison officials through a letter and stated that she has gone on hunger strike in protest of this matter.
According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of a collection of human rights activists in Iran, Maryam Ebrahimvand, a writer, filmmaker and film producer, has been deprived of having a telephone card and communicating with her family for approximately one month.
An informed source regarding Ms. Ebrahimvand’s condition told Hrana: “Ms. Ebrahimvand’s telephone card has been deactivated by Qarchak Prison officials for approximately one month for unknown reasons, and since then she can only speak with her family and defense lawyer in a controlled manner at the prison’s security office. This is while her case is in the appeal phase and she should be in constant contact with her lawyer. On the other hand, since December 6th, she has been transferred from the political ward of Qarchak Prison to the mothers’ ward of this prison, and is now living in violation of the principle of separation of crimes in this ward.”
Ms. Ebrahimvand has protested to prison officials through a letter and stated that she has gone on hunger strike in protest of this matter.
The full text of this letter, which has been provided to Hrana for publication, is as follows:
“I, Maryam Ebrahimvand, writer and filmmaker, after 29 months of uncertainty due to making a film focused on sexual assault against girls and society’s problems and criticism of the president, have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, and after the issuance of the initial sentence on November 10, 1399 (October 31, 2020), I was transferred from Evin Prison to Ward 8 of Qarchak Varamian Prison, a ward for prisoners with political and security charges.
Upon entering Ward 8, they confiscated my telephone card after 1 week and declared that the Tehran prosecutor has banned me from contact. On December 14 of this year, special guards with batons and tasers attacked the political ward and severely beat all political prisoners, and removed Golrokh Iraee from the ward in the worst manner with taser and baton strikes. After that, Sepideh Khosh Raftar, one of the guards of Qarchak Prison, by striking 20 tasers to my left calf, wounded me and caused serious injury, and I still face difficulties in walking. No medical examination of my condition has been conducted so far.
On the other hand, I am the only student in Qarchak Prison, but after taking 2 exams by the Shahr-e Rey Prison, I was deprived of education and was not allowed to participate in university exams. Finally, on December 13, 1399 (January 3, 2021), Mr. Heyat al-Ghaib, Director General of the Prison Organization, visited the political ward of Qarchak and I expressed my protest regarding deprivation of telephone access, participation in exams, and beatings by prison personnel. He ordered that upon transfer from the political ward to the mothers’ ward, which houses sixteen children under one year of age, “your telephone card has been given to you and you have the right to contact like all prisoners.”
However, unfortunately Mr. Heyat al-Ghaib falsely transferred me from the political ward to the mothers’ and children’s ward, where innocent children are tortured in prison, and I remain deprived of telephone access and education. This is while my legal case is in a sensitive and critical situation and has recently been assigned to an appellate court. Therefore, I must be in contact with my lawyer and family to pursue and challenge the unlawful and unjust ruling of the initial court.
For this purpose, since December 16, 1399 (January 5, 2021), I have been on a hunger strike. On December 29 (January 18, 2021), on the fourteenth day of my hunger strike, when I left the ward to go towards the political ward where they were concerned about my physical condition and situation, in front of Ward 8 one of the guards named Farzaneh Karimi, without regard to my physical condition, grabbed my hands and threw me against the wall, beating, insulting and slandering me. With a severe drop in blood pressure, I fell to the ground. Farzaneh Karimi loudly declared: ‘We can, we beat!’
The political ward, which witnessed such violent behavior and beatings against me, including Saba Kardafshari and Zahra Sarv, expressed their protest. But no official was willing to respond. Given that I continue my hunger strike today, not only am I not receiving medical attention, but I have also been beaten by officials! On the other hand, political prisoners have no opportunity to leave Ward 8 and have been deprived of any telephone contact. At any moment there is the possibility of beating by officials, and they merely claim that such behavior is carried out at the order of the Tehran prosecutor. No one in Qarchak Prison hears our voice! I ask the dear people to be our voice!
Maryam Ebrahimvand / December 30, 1399 (January 20, 2021) / Qarchak Varamian Prison.”
Maryam Ebrahimvand, who has been imprisoned since July 31, 2018, was sentenced in November of this year by Branch 1059 of the Civil Service Court to 7 years imprisonment for the charge of “making an obscene film,” 1 year imprisonment for the charge of “insulting the president,” and 2 years imprisonment for the charge of “spreading false information against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps with the intention of disturbing public opinion,” totaling 10 years and 6 months imprisonment. In a different part of her case, she was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolution Court to 6 months imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda against the system,” and this ruling was consolidated in the final decision at the Civil Service Court, resulting in a total sentence of 10 years and 6 months imprisonment.
If this ruling is upheld in the appeal phase, with the application of Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment of 7 years imprisonment for the charge of “making an obscene film” is applicable to her.
Maryam Ebrahimvand, born in 1991, is a writer, filmmaker and producer of the films “The Humor of Love,” “We Are All Alone” and “Girls’ Dormitory.” Besides her cinematic and cultural activities, her reasons for fame include her candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections, registering as one of the female candidates in the election.
Many prisoners in Iran resort to hunger strikes as a last resort to achieve their demands. Many of these strikes have been in protest of the failure to address case problems, non-compliance with prisoners’ rights, and prolonged uncertainty.
Source: Hrana
