Authorities at Qarchak Prison in Varamin have denied the political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared in-person family visits, including her children. According to her attorney, Hossein Taj, Ms. Akbari Monfared was transferred to Qarchak Prison after completing a 15-year sentence without furlough.
Speaking about the visitation restrictions, Hossein Taj stated:
“Unfortunately, this information is accurate. My client, after completing 15 years of imprisonment in Semnan without a single day of leave, was transferred to Qarchak Prison for an additional two-year sentence. Since her transfer, she has been denied in-person visitation with her family.”
Despite her husband obtaining approval from the prosecutor’s office, prison authorities have claimed that a civil registry inquiry failed to verify their marital status, barring her husband from visitation. Her daughters have only been allowed weekly cabin (glass-separated) visits. This treatment violates standard prison regulations, which allow for at least one monthly in-person family visit.
Background on Maryam Akbari Monfared
Ms. Akbari Monfared was arrested on December 31, 2009, following her participation in protests during the Ashura demonstrations. In June 2010, she was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Judge Salavati of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God through membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK),” which she has denied.
In March 2021, during her 13th year of imprisonment, she was exiled from Evin Prison to Semnan Prison. Her sentence officially ended on October 12, 2024, but she was immediately transferred to Qarchak Prison and sentenced to an additional two years for charges of “spreading falsehoods” and “propaganda against the regime.”
In July 2023, new charges were brought against Ms. Akbari Monfared, reportedly initiated by the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO), a powerful organization tasked with managing confiscated assets. The organization filed a lawsuit seeking to seize her family’s property, accusing her and her relatives of unspecified offenses.
Hossein Taj criticized these developments, stating:
“This case, based on Article 49 of the Constitution, aims to confiscate assets belonging to Ms. Akbari Monfared and her family. It reflects a pattern of punitive legal actions against her even after completing her sentence.”
Maryam Akbari Monfared lost three brothers and a sister, who were supporters of the MEK, to executions carried out by the Iranian government, two of whom were killed during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. In 2016, she filed a complaint with the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, demanding accountability for these crimes.
The Iranian government has yet to respond to international inquiries regarding these human rights violations. Meanwhile, Ms. Akbari Monfared remains in solitary confinement in Qarchak Prison, continuing to face retaliatory measures aimed at silencing her advocacy and punishing her family.
