Mohammad Reza Amouzad, a young judge known for issuing inhumane sentences and imposing heavy bails, has been stationed in Qarchak Prison since Tuesday, September 19, 2023, for prosecuting female prisoners in Qarchak involved in the uprising.
On the anniversary of the tragic death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the beginning of nationwide protests in Iran on September 16, 2023, female prisoners in Qarchak Prison staged an uprising, setting some objects on fire and engaging in protests. A significant number of security forces were deployed to suppress the women.
Prison guards fired rubber bullets at the female prisoners, resulting in at least 20 inmates being injured. While the women prisoners were trapped in the midst of the fire, they were subjected to severe beatings. Their cries could be heard by people outside.
According to informed sources, after extinguishing the fire, the prison is under tight control by security forces. The prisoners have been pressured, even deprived of food, boiling water, and necessary medication. Despite the conditions, some 360 women arrested during the September 16 protests have been transferred to Qarchak Prison.
The prosecution of the female prisoners involved in the prison uprising is being carried out under the supervision of Judge Mohammad Reza Amouzad, the judge of Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Mohammad Reza Amouzad Khalili is a judge from Golestan province who was selected and introduced as one of the top five judges in the field of alternative sentencing in the Iranian judiciary in 2018. He has replaced Judge Moghiseh, one of the notorious judges involved in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran.
Amouzad is known for issuing heavy sentences for the detainees of the 2019 protests. He also caused the suicide of at least one detainee by imposing heavy bail.
One of the examples of the inhumane alternative sentences handed down by this judge, for the psychological and mental torture of the defendants, is sentencing a young man to 300 hours of doing community service at the city’s Jame’e Mosque for driving without a driver’s license.
About the Qarchak Prison of Varamin
Varamin’s Qarchak Prison is located in the desert outskirts of eastern Tehran, at the beginning of Shahr-e-Ray Road. This prison underwent reconstruction in 2011 and was renamed as “Women’s Prison of Ray County.” Currently, it accommodates over 1,500 to 2,000 female prisoners from across Tehran province, despite its actual capacity being 500 individuals.
