Transfer of female political prisoners to smaller prisons; Sotoudeh's husband says they were "exiled" through "lies and deceit"

Reports and news published on social media indicate that after Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights defender imprisoned in Iran, was transferred from Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison in Varamin, Monireh Arabshahi and Yasman Ariani, two civil activists and protesters of compulsory hijab, were also transferred to Kachouei Prison in Karaj, and Samaneh Nowruz Moradi, a political prisoner, was transferred to another prison.

Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband, confirmed the news to Voice of America on Wednesday, October 20, saying: "On Tuesday, October 19, officers stationed at Evin Prison, without any prior notice, through lies and deceit, transferred Nasrin Sotoudeh to Qarchak Prison in Varamin, which is known as the women's prison, with the intention of sending her to a hospital outside the prison. Ms. Sotoudeh has not been given any explanation regarding the reason for her deportation to this prison."

Mr. Khandan added: "This transfer was carried out with deception and with the intention of transferring her to the hospital, while Ms. Sotoudeh did not transfer any of her belongings, including the clothes and other personal belongings she had in Evin Prison, to Qarchak Prison with her."

Ms. Sotoudeh's husband also told VOA about the transfer of Monireh Arabshahi and Yasman Ariani, saying that Ms. Arabshahi's husband also confirmed the transfer of these civil activists from Evin Prison to another prison; however, it was said that so far, none of these prisoners have been able to contact their families.

On the other hand, Babak Paknia, the lawyer for Monireh Arabshahi, Yasman Ariani, and Samaneh Nowruz Moradi, also reported on his Twitter about the "deception" and "lies" of prison officials to transfer his clients, writing: "Samaneh Nowruz Moradi's physical condition is not good at all. We were conducting forensic medical procedures to determine if she was unable to bear the confinement. My clients were not even given the opportunity to take their medicines and warm clothes with them! What kind of situation is this?"

Previously, Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband, after the imprisoned human rights defender's long-term hunger strike, told VOA that after Ms. Sotoudeh was transferred to a hospital outside the prison, the doctor at the hospital said that her angiography test should be performed as soon as possible, but "no action has been taken so far and Ms. Sotoudeh's physical condition is not good."

Referring to the statements made by the Prisons Organization's public relations officer yesterday regarding Ms. Sotoudeh's transfer to Qarchak Prison in Varamin, Mr. Khandan told VOA: "The Prisons Organization's public relations officer, with little or no legal education, tried to provide explanations in this regard; but the reality is that these reasons are not the main reasons for these transfers. These events are not specific to the women's ward, and they also transfer male political prisoners from time to time. This transfer is a very heavy psychological and emotional trauma for the prisoner; because the prisoner has been trying for months and sometimes years to establish limited relationships and facilities in the ward."

According to available news, the Public Relations Department of Tehran Province's General Prisons Department on Tuesday, the 29th, stated that the reason for Ms. Sotoudeh's transfer to Qarchak Prison in Varamin was the finalization of the 12-year prison sentence of the imprisoned human rights activist, and announced, "Based on Article 7, Paragraph B of the Regulations on the Separation and Classification of Prisoners, approved in December 2006, prisoners convicted of one of the public crimes that also affects Nasrin Sotoudeh are not eligible to be held in a security ward."

Continuing his interview with Voice of America, Mr. Khandan rejected the claim of the Tehran Provincial Prisons Administration that prisoners are segregated and categorized, saying that the excuse of segregating prisoners in Iran is a futile excuse, because there is no prison in Iran that is exclusively for political prisoners, and all prisons in Iran, including Evin, Rajai Shahr, and Greater Tehran, have both political prisoners and prisoners with general crimes.

Earlier, Voice of America reported that Yasman Ariani and Monireh Arabshahi, civil activists and protesters of the mandatory hijab in Iran, were sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison by Branch 54 of the Court of Appeals.

Morgan Ortagus, a spokesperson for the US State Department, condemned the opposition's endorsement of mandatory hijab laws in Iran, saying, "No one should be forced to wear or not wear religious clothing."

Mr. Khandan concluded by telling VOA: "How can a system that claims: We catch terrorists in the sky, we bring so-and-so from France, and thousands of other claims, resort to deceit and lies to transfer a prisoner? Is this from their religious teachings or technical teachings? What reason is there for this trickery and deceit? This is while transferring a prisoner is easy for the judiciary, the prisons organization, or the security forces, and they can transfer the prisoner by showing a judicial order. Even if the prisoner resists, they can easily resort to force and transfer the prisoner to any place they like."

Robert Menendez, a senior US senator, also tweeted on September 10 that Iranian human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh should never have been imprisoned in the first place. He continued his tweet by writing, “Iran must immediately and unconditionally release Nasrin Sotoudeh and end her hunger strike before her condition worsens.”

Previously, the US State Department's Office of Women's Affairs also announced its support and expressed deep concern for the health of Nasrin Sotoudeh, calling on the Iranian regime to release this imprisoned human rights lawyer and all political prisoners who have been unjustly detained.