Widespread poisoning of half of prisoners in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz

The widespread poisoning of half of the prisoners in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz is another telling scenario by the Islamic Republic to distort public opinion.

The poisoning crisis among prisoners in Sheiban, Ahvaz, has once again exposed the inhumane conditions and systematic neglect of the Islamic Republic. According to the Karun human rights organization, more than half of the prisoners in Ahvaz Central Prison (Sheiban) have suffered from food poisoning. Internal sources have confirmed that many prisoners are experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.

According to prisoners in the prison, their main diet in recent weeks has been limited to chicken, which has an unnatural, dark color and, according to the prisoners, “appears to have been sick or even dead.” This has been cited as the main cause of widespread poisoning among prisoners.

Sheiban Prison has long been notorious for its poor sanitary conditions and substandard food. While more than 4,000 prisoners are held in the complex, there is only one doctor in the prison, one on the administrative shift, and one nurse in the infirmary. This severe shortage of medical staff has led to delays and inattention in addressing the prisoners’ conditions.

Prisoners had previously complained about the poor quality of drinking water, food, and medical services, but recent reports indicate that the situation in Sheiban Prison has reached a critical point.

This incident is not just a health crisis in prisons, but also a reflection of the long-standing policy of the Islamic Republic, which, through targeted crisis-making, attempts to divert public opinion from the larger issues of society. The use of such far-fetched scenarios not only does not hide the government's responsibilities towards the human rights of prisoners, but also shows that human rights violations and disregard for human life have become part of the governance mechanism.