Amnesty International Calls for Provision of Necessary Medical Services to Three Imprisoned Women in Iran

Amnesty International has called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately provide necessary medical services for Zeinab Jalalian, a political prisoner, Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist, and Sohila Hejab, an imprisoned lawyer.

On Thursday, July 10, in response to published reports regarding these prisoners who have been deprived of medical services for coronavirus, Amnesty International wrote on its Twitter account: “Amnesty International calls on Iranian authorities to immediately provide necessary medical services for them.”

The human rights organization also responded to the transfer two weeks earlier of Zeinab Jalalian, a political prisoner, from Rey City Prison (Qarchak) to an unknown location, describing the action as “enforced disappearance” and calling on the Islamic Republic’s authorities to immediately disclose her whereabouts and allow her to contact her family and lawyer.

Previously, Taghi Rahmani, husband of Narges Mohammadi, announced on Tuesday, July 9 on his Twitter that the journalist and human rights defender, who after a sit-in along with seven other female prisoners in protest of the November massacre was violently transferred from Evin Prison to Zanjan Prison, has along with six other prisoners suffered severe fainting, severe body pain, and loss of sense of smell.

According to Mr. Rahmani, the condition of Ms. Mohammadi, who is spending time in prison without medication and treatment, has continuously worsened since July 2, and despite family efforts to obtain authorities’ approval for her temporary release, the imprisoned journalist has only been told that she will be tested for coronavirus.

Previously, Voice of America announced on Monday, July 8 that Sohila Hejab, a lawyer who last February was sentenced to a total of 18 years imprisonment on charges such as “propaganda against the system,” “forming a group for women’s rights,” and “requesting a referendum and constitutional change,” contracted coronavirus in Qarchak Varamin Prison and remains in quarantine in difficult conditions without medical care.

Voice of America also reported in late May, citing the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, that Ali Jalalian, father of Zeinab Jalalian, a political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, announced that his daughter was transferred to the prison clinic on May 4 due to severe shortness of breath, and after examination and testing her illness was diagnosed as coronavirus; however, according to him, “prison officials on orders from the Ministry of Intelligence are refusing to transfer her to a hospital.”

The release of some prisoners began on Wednesday, February 26 with the issuance of a new circular by the head of the judiciary, according to which a furlough order was issued only to a limited group of sentenced prisoners with certain conditions observed. In one of the provisions of that circular, it states that those political prisoners charged with “actions against national security” and sentenced to more than five years imprisonment “are exempted from being sent on furlough.” This is while most political prisoners with the aforementioned charge have convictions exceeding five years.

As a result, a large number of prisoners in various Iranian prisons, including political and ideological prisoners whose sentences exceed five years, continue to be held in Iranian prisons, and despite the spread of coronavirus in Iranian prisons and the infection of some prisoners with coronavirus, they are deprived of the right to short-term furlough or conditional release.