Three Weeks of In-Person Visit Ban
According to received reports, as of Tuesday, January 28, 2025, in-person visits for political prisoners in Ward 4 of Evin Prison have been suddenly canceled. This action was taken in response to prisoners’ protests against the sudden transfer of Behrouz Ehsani to Qezel Hesar Prison.
The ban applies to all prisoners in this ward, including supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Even prisoners who did not participate in protests or slogans have been deprived of in-person visits. Informed sources have stated that the prison’s disciplinary council has not yet convened to address this issue, but prisoners have been informally notified that the matter is under review. However, they remain unaware of the exact reason for this deprivation, which has now lasted for over three weeks.
Sudden Transfer of Political Prisoners and Widespread Protests
In an act that many have described as “abduction” and a “blatant violation of the law,” Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, two political prisoners sentenced to death, were transferred to Qezel-Hesar Prison on Sunday, January 26, 2025. This transfer took place while their death sentences had been confirmed and their cases had been sent for execution.
Political prisoners in Wards 4, 8, and the women’s ward of Evin Prison have protested against this transfer, condemning it as illegal. Amid growing domestic and international protests, the execution of these two prisoners has been temporarily halted, and their cases have been referred to the Supreme Court for retrial.
