Amid Denial of Medical Care and Increased Security Pressure
Azar Korvandi, a political prisoner currently held in the women’s ward of Tehran’s Evin Prison, is reportedly suffering from serious health conditions including cervical disc herniation, heart problems, and a history of cancer. Despite her deteriorating condition, prison authorities have denied her access to specialized medical care and treatment outside the prison.
According to sources close to her family, Korvandi’s physical and mental condition is alarming. One informed source stated: “She is experiencing severe neck pain, numbness in her hands, and frequent heart palpitations. Over the past few weeks, she has lost five kilograms. Despite these issues, the Ministry of Intelligence, which oversees her case, has refused to grant her medical furlough or authorize her transfer to a hospital.”
Korvandi, who is around 60 years old and has a history of cancer, requires regular medical monitoring and periodic testing. However, according to her family, she has been denied even basic medical services, including visits with specialists.
Background and Legal Proceedings
Azar Korvandi was transferred to Evin Prison on July 30, 2023, to begin serving a five-year sentence. This sentence stems from a case first adjudicated in January 2022 by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was convicted of “collusion and assembly against national security” through alleged cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The verdict was upheld without change by the appeals court.
Korvandi’s initial arrest dates back to the summer of 2019, when she and two other women—Roghieh Soltan Mirzani and Makhsoos Bokharaei—were detained in Shahriar, west of Tehran, for holding family counseling gatherings at a private garden. They were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” Although initially released on bail after interrogation, all three women were later returned to prison following the issuance of heavy sentences.
