Qarchak Prison in Varamin, Iran, has become the epicenter of mounting concern over human rights abuses in the summer of 2025, as reports of systematic mistreatment and brutality against political prisoners continue to surface. The grim reality for dozens of female political prisoners held at this facility, coupled with the violent transfers and looming executions of male political prisoners elsewhere in the country, paints a distressing picture of the current state of Iran’s prison system.
According to detailed accounts obtained by international human rights organizations and local sources, Qarchak Prison has descended into what many now describe as a “symbol of silent torture.” The female political prisoners, many of whom were forcibly relocated from Evin Prison following a security raid on June 22, 2025, are now enduring conditions that stretch the limits of human endurance.
In the past several weeks, the situation has grown particularly dire. Electricity in the hall housing these women has reportedly been cut for up to five hours during the hottest part of the day. Without so much as a fan, and in a space devoid of windows or ventilation, the heat has become unbearable. The area, ironically referred to as a “club,” is now used to detain women transferred from Evin, but even the most basic human standards are flagrantly ignored.
Sanitation and medical care at Qarchak are in crisis. The women must share just three toilets and three showers among dozens, and there is not enough water for drinking, washing, or bathing. The prison yard’s sewage area is contaminated and infested with rats and insects, creating an environment hazardous to both physical and mental health. Many of the women are elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, yet they are denied even the most basic medical attention. Notably, Azar Karvandi, who suffers from heart and hearing problems, Moloud Safaei, diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia and severe vision loss, and Raheleh Rahimpour, an elderly woman with mobility impairment, have all been denied medical care. There is no trusted physician, no emergency care, and not even the simplest medicines available to them.
Access to medication, medical furlough, and communication with families has been severely restricted or completely cut off since the transfer. The women’s access to sanitary facilities, library resources, and contact with the outside world has also been drastically reduced. According to reports, “these women, like many others, are denied access to medication, medical furlough, and basic health services.”
The forced transfer from Evin to Qarchak was itself marked by violence and disregard for basic rights. On June 22, 2025, security forces conducted a sudden and forceful raid on the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Over 60 female political prisoners were moved to Qarchak without prior notice and without being allowed to gather their personal belongings. The aftermath of this transfer has been a marked escalation in suffering, as the already notorious Qarchak Prison struggles with overcrowding and neglect.
Meanwhile, a parallel crisis has unfolded in Iran’s male prison population. On the morning of August 8, 2025, five political prisoners sentenced to death—Mohammad Taghavi, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Vahid Bani-Amrian, Pouya Ghobadi, and Babak Alipour—were violently transferred from Fashafouyeh Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison. Informed sources indicate that this move was part of a mass transfer from Fashafouyeh to Evin Prison. The five men, all facing execution, were separated from other prisoners with violence and beatings by guards, and transferred to an undisclosed location without any opportunity to contact their families. The prisoners reportedly protested their transfer, but were brutally beaten for their resistance.
These events occurred amid a broader upheaval in Iran’s prison system. Over the course of just two days before August 8, more than 600 political, security, and financial prisoners were transferred from Fashafouyeh Prison to Evin Prison. These transfers were carried out rapidly and without prior notice to families, leaving prisoners with no chance to collect their personal belongings. The uncertainty was heightened by the fact that many sections of Evin Prison, especially those damaged during the so-called “12-Day War” missile attack, remain under reconstruction.
The six political prisoners at the center of this crisis—Vahid Bani-Amrian, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, and Abolhassan Montazer—were all tried jointly in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on October 6, 2024. On November 30, 2024, they were sentenced to death and prison on charges including “armed rebellion, assembly and collusion against national security, and membership in the Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK).”
The international community has not remained silent in the face of these developments. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a statement calling on “the UN High Commissioner, the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Iran, and international human rights organizations to take immediate action to inquire about the status of these five prisoners and to save their lives, as they are at risk of execution.” Amnesty International echoed these urgent appeals, stating, “Global action is needed NOW urging Iranian authorities to halt any plans to execute them!” and demanding the regime “halt any plans to execute” the five prisoners.
These calls for action underscore the severity of the current situation. Human rights advocates warn that the combination of violent transfers, denial of medical care, and the threat of imminent executions constitutes a grave violation of international norms and Iran’s own obligations under human rights treaties. The lack of transparency and communication with families further exacerbates the suffering of both prisoners and their loved ones.
Qarchak Prison, with its history of catastrophic conditions, has now become a focal point for international scrutiny. The forced transfer of political prisoners, the escalation of neglect, and the apparent indifference of authorities have transformed the facility into a chilling symbol of “silent torture”—not through open violence, but through heat, stench, deprivation, and structural neglect. The situation for male political prisoners, facing the prospect of execution after violent and secretive transfers, only adds to the sense of urgency.
As the summer heat continues to bear down on Iran, the plight of these prisoners serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for human rights in the country. With international organizations raising the alarm and families left in the dark, the fate of those detained in Qarchak, Ghezel Hesar, and Evin Prisons hangs in the balance, awaiting a response from both Iranian authorities and the world at large.
