Political prisoner Rouhollah Khosravi, an ethnic Bakhtiari from the city of Izeh in southwestern Iran, has been held for more than ten days in degrading and substandard conditions in the quarantine ward of Dezful Prison. He is reportedly kept with his hands and feet shackled. His recent transfer from Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz to Dezful is viewed as part of ongoing systematic pressure and punitive treatment against him.
Khosravi, who has been in detention since September 2023 without trial, had previously gone on hunger strike to protest his prolonged legal limbo. According to his relatives, judicial and security authorities have ignored basic legal principles such as the classification of prisoners by the nature of their charges and the right to due process. In addition to avoiding any legal proceedings, authorities have exerted further physical and psychological pressure by transferring him to distant prisons and subjecting him to harsh conditions.
Khosravi has been repeatedly punished for protesting inhumane prison conditions, including during his time at Sheiban and Sepidar Prisons in Ahvaz. In one instance, on November 17, 2024, he was suddenly transferred to Sepidar Prison and placed in quarantine after protesting the suspension of phone contact with his family.
In February 2025, Khosravi was placed in solitary confinement for 25 days following the release of an audio message in which he described his situation and called on the international community—including the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman—for help. In that message, he disclosed that he had been subjected to torture, forced confessions, and the fabrication of new charges against him.
His current physical and mental condition is reported to be alarming, and his family has expressed deep concern for his health, demanding his immediate transfer to a general ward and proper medical and legal attention.
Khosravi faces charges including “propaganda against the regime,” “disturbing public order,” “collaboration with opposition groups,” and “armed rebellion (baghi).” Despite these accusations, no trial has been held, and no verdict has been issued.
His case remains with the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz, but the legal process is proceeding so slowly and opaquely that it shows no signs of ensuring a fair trial. Human rights activists argue that prolonged legal uncertainty is often used to mentally exhaust political prisoners and break their resistance.
Sources familiar with the case emphasize that Khosravi’s continued confinement in chains and in quarantine violates Iran’s own prison regulations and constitutes both physical and psychological torture.
