Continued Detention and Limbo Status of ‘Abul-Hasan Montazer’ in Ward 209 of Evin Prison

‘Abul-Hasan Montazer’ remains in a state of limbo in Ward 209 of Evin Prison after four months of detention.

Abul-Hasan Montazer, a 65-year-old political detainee, despite four months having passed since his arrest and suffering from multiple illnesses, remains in a state of limbo in the detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison. To date, not only has no interrogation session been held for him, but he has also been deprived of access to a lawyer of his choice.

Abul-Hasan Montazer is among political prisoners from the 1980s who has been arrested multiple times by the Islamic Republic government, with prison sentences issued against him. He was arrested in June 2018 and was sentenced to five years in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court in October 2020 on charges of “assembly and conspiracy against national security” and “propaganda against the system through communication and membership in the Mujahedin organization.”

After undergoing open-heart surgery in June 2021, he was transferred to Ward 4 of Evin Prison and was subsequently exiled to Gohardasht Prison in October 2021. Mr. Montazer was eventually released in March 2022 and less than two years later was re-arrested by security forces in Tehran in early December 2023. Prior to his arrest, he had been hospitalized at Masih Daneshvari Hospital for some time due to illness and lung problems, and specialist physicians at this hospital had issued orders for surgical intervention for him.

It should be noted that he suffers from heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, urinary tract problems, and arthritis, which require specialized medical attention. However, this is not available in the detention facility.

Additionally, to date, no information is available regarding the reasons for his detention and the charges against him.