Political Prisoners Strike in Response to Stripping of Women at Tehran’s Main Prison
Political prisoners went on strike in response to the stripping of women for body searches at Tehran’s main prison.
Mohammad Nourizadeh, a film director, screenwriter, journalist, and political activist imprisoned in Tehran’s main prison, reported the strike of political prisoners in protest against the shameful stripping of women for body searches. He stated in this regard: “The smugglers of various narcotics are the prison officials of Tehran’s main prison themselves, but they look suspiciously at our women and children and shamelessly strip women and subject them to body searches.”
He reported yesterday, Thursday, the 26th of Tir, by releasing an audio file from Tehran’s main prison, the gathering of political prisoners. In this audio file, he announced that female prisoners were shamelessly and completely stripped and subjected to body searches on Wednesday before visiting with their families. He also added to the willingness of the strikers to confront prison guards: “This is a collective action and everyone is upset about this shameful behavior which is defined as sexual assault.”
While accusing prison officials of smuggling various narcotics into the prison, he considered their behavior an example of “sexual assault.” Nourizadeh also mentioned in the said audio file a 13-year-old imprisoned girl who cried continuously during a visit with her father due to the shock from being stripped by inspectors.
Payam Bastani is another political prisoner held in Tehran’s main prison who, prior to Mohammad Nourizadeh, released an audio file about the harsh treatment of prison officials toward prisoners’ families during visits and the issue of stripping female prisoners.
The stripping of imprisoned women and men in such a shameless manner is only one of the methods of torture and suppression of prisoners carried out by the Islamic Republic. In some cases, sexual assault of prisoners by prison staff has been reported, and moreover for obtaining forced confessions, many of which have remained hidden and undisclosed.
