On the Brink of Death in Evin Prison: Don’t Let Azar Korvandi’s Voice Be Silenced
Azar Korvandi Mousazadeh, a 60-year-old political prisoner, is slowly dying in the women’s ward of Tehran’s Evin Prison. She is not merely an inmate — she is a living testament to decades of resistance, a mother, a survivor of the 1980s prison purges in Iran, and now, a woman battling multiple life-threatening illnesses while being denied medical treatment.
A Life Shaped by Resistance
Born in 1962, Azar Korvandi is a mother of two and a former political prisoner from the 1980s. During her previous imprisonment, she was pregnant and gave birth to her child while under interrogation. Her husband was executed during the 1988 prison massacre in Evin. Today, she continues to pay the price for her beliefs — this time with her health and possibly her life.
Systematic Medical Neglect
Azar suffers from several severe health conditions: advanced cervical disc herniation, thinning shoulder tendons, a history of cancer with ongoing complications, and critical heart disease with two blocked arteries. Despite medical experts within the prison recommending immediate surgery, prison authorities — led by Warden Farzadi and under the supervision of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence — have refused to authorize her hospitalization or even a consultation with a specialist.
Recent medical reports confirm that she experiences unbearable pain in her neck, numbness in her hands, irregular heartbeat, and has lost over five kilograms. She can no longer move her neck properly and is physically unable to carry out basic daily tasks. Yet, her request for medical leave has been denied and made contingent on permission from her intelligence officer, essentially turning her right to treatment into a political bargaining chip.
A Grave Violation of International Law
Denying a prisoner access to urgent medical care is a blatant and systematic form of torture, in direct violation of several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
- Article 3 – Right to Life: Her life is at imminent risk due to lack of treatment.
- Article 5 – Prohibition of Torture: Withholding medical care amid intense pain constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment.
- Article 7 – Equality Before the Law: Denying her care due to her political background is a clear act of discrimination.
Politically Motivated Imprisonment
Azar Korvandi was arrested in July 2019 for allegedly holding family counseling sessions at her private garden in Shahriar, along with two other women, Roghieh Soltan Mirzani and Makhsous Bokharaei. She was later charged with “propaganda against the regime” and “collusion against national security through cooperation with the MEK (People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran).” In December 2021, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced her to five years in prison. The sentence was upheld on appeal, and she has been incarcerated in Evin since July 30, 2023.
In prison, Azar has faced additional security pressures. Along with other women prisoners, she was banned from family visits after protesting the execution of fellow inmates. These restrictions further violate Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights regarding freedom of association and contact with the outside world.
A Cry for Urgent Action
Azar Korvandi stands at the edge of life and death. Every moment without proper medical care brings her closer to irreversible harm. We call on the international community to act before it’s too late:
- Immediate Hospitalization: Azar must be transferred to a hospital for surgery and specialist care without delay or condition.
- UN Investigation: The United Nations must launch an inquiry into the medical and human rights abuses in Iran’s prisons, particularly concerning female political detainees.
- Global Pressure on Iranian Authorities: Governments, human rights organizations, and media outlets must hold Iranian officials accountable for this inhumane treatment.
Wake Up the World
Azar Korvandi is not just fighting for freedom anymore — she is fighting to breathe, to survive. Silencing her through medical neglect is not just an attack on her body, but on justice itself. Her life must not be the price of impunity.
To save her is to affirm humanity.
