On the evening of Monday, July 14, 2025, agents of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence launched a violent raid on the home of Pejman Toubareh-Rizi, a political prisoner currently held in Fashafouyeh Prison. The assault instilled fear and panic among the family members. Although the stated aim of the operation was the arrest of Pejman’s younger brother and the discovery of weapons, the agents left after hours of ransacking the home—without producing any evidence or finding any weapons. The raid, however, came at a heavy human cost: the death of Pejman’s ill stepmother.
Death of Mrs. Fariba Ahmadi Following the Night Raid
During the violent search, Mrs. Fariba Ahmadi, Pejman Toubareh-Rizi’s stepmother who was bedridden due to cancer, suffered a heart attack and passed away the same night. According to sources close to the family, the trauma and intense stress caused by the sudden invasion and destruction of property exacerbated her already fragile condition, leading to her death.
Burial Held Under Security Surveillance
Mrs. Ahmadi’s funeral was held the following day, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in the village of Bilehvar in the Kermanshah province. The ceremony was heavily monitored by security forces, who were deployed to suppress any anti-government chants or gatherings. Eyewitnesses report that before the funeral, security forces had threatened the family not to disclose the role of the raid in Mrs. Ahmadi’s death. They warned that any public statements or information sharing could result in severe consequences for other family members.
Complicity of Medical Institutions in State Repression
In a coordinated action, Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah—where Mrs. Ahmadi’s body was transferred—listed “cancer progression” as the sole cause of death. This was despite the family’s insistence that the heart attack was a direct result of the emotional shock caused by the armed raid. This act of concealing the true cause of death reflects a disturbing collaboration between parts of the healthcare system and the state security apparatus, further eroding public trust in essential service institutions.
Pejman Toubareh-Rizi: A Political Prisoner Under Physical and Psychological Pressure
Pejman Toubareh-Rizi, a 32-year-old civil activist from Kermanshah, was previously held in Evin Prison and is now detained in Fashafouyeh. He suffers from heart disease and is in critical physical condition. However, prison authorities continue to deny him access to necessary medical care. This denial constitutes a clear violation of the right to health and can be seen as a form of slow torture practiced against political and ideological prisoners in Iran.
