From the Torture Chamber of the 1980s to Today’s Death Camp
Introduction
Qeze-Hesar Prison, one of the largest and most notorious detention facilities in Iran, has stood for over four decades as a symbol of systemic repression and gross human rights violations. From the 1980s, when it became a slaughterhouse for political prisoners, to the present day, where it functions as a death camp for ordinary inmates, Qezel-Hesar has consistently served as an instrument of the Iranian regime’s brutal policies.
In this third part of our report on Qezel-Hesar Prison, we examine the historical trajectory of human rights violations within its walls, with a particular focus on the repression of political prisoners from the 1980s to the present. This analysis reveals how the Iranian regime has perpetuated crimes against humanity in an attempt to crush the resistance of political detainees and dissidents-an ongoing struggle that continues today through campaigns such as “No to Executions on Tuesdays.”
The 1980s: Torture, Executions, and the Annihilation of Political Opponents
During the 1980s, Qezel-Hesar was one of the primary detention and torture centers for political prisoners in Iran. Following the widespread crackdowns of 1981 and 1982, thousands of political detainees from various opposition groups were imprisoned in this facility.
- Brutal Torture Methods: Techniques such as starvation, prolonged standing, confinement in cages, isolation in “residential units,” and relentless flogging were among the primary methods of torture during this period.[1]
- “Houses of Death”: Testimonies from inside Qezel Hesar provide firsthand accounts that expose the true face of these atrocities.
Starvation and Prolonged Standing
In a section known as the “Gavdani” (Cattle Pen), prisoners were subjected to extreme forms of torment.[2] Detainees were forced to stand with their hands raised and legs spread apart for three to four consecutive days, all while being deprived of food.
The Cage
Another notorious method of torture was “the cage”, in which prisoners were confined in exceedingly small, restricted spaces designed to prevent them from fully standing or sitting.[3] This imposed excruciating muscle pain, severe physical strain, and psychological distress, ultimately aiming to break the prisoners’ spirit and willpower.
Azam Haj Heidari, a PMOI[4] prisoner who endured seven months in these horrific cages, recounts:
“In the large corridors of Ward One, wooden planks were vertically placed at maximum 70-centimeter intervals, with their bases welded together by an iron rod. A filthy, foul-smelling military blanket covered the floor. Within the narrow space between these wooden walls, prisoners were kept blindfolded, day and night. The confinement was so tight that, despite my small stature, I could not fit properly. As a result, I was forced to constantly hug my knees and rest my head on them.”
“Residential Units”
The so-called “residential units”[5] were locations used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners. These sites were typically situated outside the official prison complex, where both physical and psychological torture were systematically employed to extract confessions or intelligence. Prisoners held in these facilities endured extreme pressure and were deprived of their fundamental rights.
Hengameh Haj Hassan, a PMOI prisoner who spent over seven months in a cage, recounts in her memoirs the testimony of Shekar Mohammadzadeh, a nurse and a PMOI supporter, who was detained in these residential units for months:
“They kept us standing for days without food or water. I counted up to six days of standing before losing track. Eventually, we would collapse from exhaustion, but they would beat us back into consciousness and force us to stand again.
We were taken to the ‘residential unit,’ where I remained blindfolded the entire time. There, physical and psychological torture was accompanied by relentless humiliation and verbal abuse.”
The Impact of Torture on Prisoners
The methods of torture used in Qezel-Hesar left profound and lasting effects on the detainees. Many prisoners suffered severe physical ailments, including chronic pain, neurological damage, and debilitating illnesses. The psychological toll was equally devastating, leading to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even after their release, survivors continued to struggle with these afflictions, requiring long-term medical and psychological care.
Resistance of Prisoners
Despite the relentless torture and brutal repression, many political prisoners in Qezel Hesar refused to surrender. They resisted by going on hunger strikes, writing open letters, and maintaining solidarity, all to defy the regime’s oppression. Their perseverance reflected an unbreakable will and unwavering commitment to their cause.
Political Prisoners of the 1980s vs. Modern Torture Methods
The core objective of the regime’s prison torture tactics has always been the same: to break the prisoners’ spirit and force them into submission. However, following the unparalleled resistance of prisoners during the 1988 massacre and the regime’s failure to coerce them into repentance, conditions in prisons gradually changed in the mid-1990s. By the 2000s and 2010s, with greater access to communication, the regime found it increasingly difficult to maintain the same level of brutality.
Yet, the essence of the regime’s crimes did not change—only the methods evolved. If given the opportunity, the regime would still carry out mass executions, just as it did in November 2019, when security forces gunned down 1,500 protesters in the streets.
New Methods of Torture
Fearing prisoners’ resistance and their potential to expose their crimes to international human rights organizations, the regime has adopted its torture techniques. While long-term imprisonment and brutal interrogations remain, the regime now isolates key detainees in secret facilities, tailoring its methods based on perceived political threats.
For example:
- In 2009, during the post-election protests, the regime established Kahrizak as a torture center.
- In 2022, its strategy shifted towards mass intimidation, arresting, torturing, and releasing individuals to instill fear. Detainees were subjected to interrogation, solitary confinement, and even sexual violence, ensuring that their suffering would deter others from rising up.
- Today, the regime continues to use prolonged solitary confinement, visitation bans, and denial of medical care, often leading to deaths from torture and psychological pressure. Additionally, widespread executions remain a key tool to terrorize society into submission.
Political Prisoners Hamzeh Sawari: “Qezel Hesar , A Living Nightmare”
A week after the sudden transfer of at least 13 political prisoners from Evin Prison to Qezel-Hesar, Hamzeh Sawari described the facility in a letter as a “black hole” and a “horrific slaughterhouse” where “every prisoner’s life is in constant danger in the truest sense of the word.”
Hamzeh Sawari, an Ahvazi Arab political prisoner who has endured 18 years behind bars, wrote:
“This blackhole is not a place for detaining prisoners; it is a horrific slaughterhouse.”
According to him, Unit 3, designated for former Gohardasht inmates, was originally designed to hold 500 prisoners, yet at least 2,000 are now crammed inside. This catastrophic overcrowding has led to violent clashes, sexual assaults, bullying of weaker prisoners (by dominant inmates), and rampant physical and psychological illnesses.”
Political Prisoners Saeed Masouri: “We Are Ready to Die at Any Moment”
Saeed Masouri, another political prisoner, wrote in a letter from Qezel-Hesar:
“After 23 years in prison, I believe I have seen and experienced the worst conditions and crimes committed by this regime inside its prisons.”
Masouri warned about the deliberate mixing of political prisoners with common criminals, a violation of the prison regulations, which require separating prisoners based on their offenses. He wrote: “We are ready to be killed at any moment.”[6]
He further described the appalling conditions inside Qezel-Hesar: “There is no proper food, no sanitation, no medical care, not even half a meter of space to sit. In a 9-square-meter cell, 15 to 16 prisoners are crammed together with no right to protest. No water, no food, no clothing befitting a human being—absolutely nothing.”
1990s and 2000s: The Silent Prison, Covert Repression
In the 1990s, following the end of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian regime sought to present a more moderate image. However, behind the scenes, repression in Qezel-Hesar Prison continued.
- The Silent Prison: Repression shifted from mass executions to psychological pressure and targeted torture.
- Suspicious Deaths: Some political prisoners who had survived the 1980s were killed under dubious pretexts.
- Increase in Ordinary Prisoners: The regime reduced the number of political prisoners and turned the prison into a holding facility for drug-related and human trafficking offenders. This transformation was a strategy to conceal the crimes of the 1980s.
2010s and 2020s: Qezel Hesar – A Death Camp for Ordinary Prisoners and the Continuation of Executions
With the rise of public protests since 2009, political prisoners were once again transferred to Qezel-Hesar. At the same time, mass executions of ordinary prisoners escalated, serving as a tool to instill fear in society.
- A Prison Overflowing with Executions: Qezel-Hesar has the highest execution rate in Iran. Most of those executed are drug-related offenders, often sentenced in unfair trials.
- Repression of Protesters: Following the 2017-2018 and 2022 uprisings, large numbers of protesters were transferred to this prison.
- Slow Death of Prisoners: Denial of medication and medical care, psychological torture, and widespread mistreatment have condemned prisoners to a slow and agonizing death.
Conclusion
Qezel-Hesar, from the 1980s until now, has been a symbol of the ongoing crimes against humanity in Iran. The Iranian regime’s policies of repurposing this prison, from a place of torture for political opponents to a death camp for ordinary prisoners, have been an attempt to conceal the history of its atrocities. However, the struggles of prisoners and human rights activists demonstrate that the truth cannot be suppressed forever. Today, international campaigns and protest movements continue the path of resistance, working to amplify the voices of the victims to the world.
This report serves as a document for human rights bodies and calls on all international organizations to act to halt executions and expose the repressive policies under the rule of the clerics in Iran.
[1] Museum of the Iranian Resistance
[2] Aftabkaran, volume 2, memoirs of former political prisoner, Mahmoud Royaeii
[3] The Price of being human, memoirs of former political prisoner, Azam Haj Heydari
[4] PMOI is the abbreviation for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the main Iranian opposition force. 90% of those massacred in the 1988 massacre and executed during the 1980s were from the PMOI.
[5] Face to Face with the Beast, memoirs of former political prisoner Hengameh Haj Hassan
[6] Letter from political prisoner Saeed Masouri, September 5, 2023
