Arak Central Prison is one of the principal detention facilities in Iran’s Markazi Province and plays a central role in the regional judicial and enforcement system. However, consistent field reports and testimonies from released prisoners indicate that conditions in this prison go beyond isolated administrative failures and reflect a structural pattern of human rights violations.
This report is based on corroborated field information, testimonies of released detainees, and human rights analysis. It does not claim any official mandate, but aims to provide accurate and reliable documentation suitable for international human rights audiences.
Location and General Structure
Arak Central Prison is located in the northern part of the city of Arak, along Nedamatgah Street. The complex is surrounded by high concrete walls, multiple layers of barbed wire, guard towers positioned at regular intervals, and permanent surveillance systems.
The prison is built on an area of approximately 2,000 square meters. When affiliated agricultural land and auxiliary facilities are included, the total area reaches roughly 10 hectares. The prison consists of two main operational units, Unit 1 and Unit 4, each characterized by distinct functions, population density, and levels of pressure imposed on detainees.
Chronic Overcrowding and Inhuman Detention Conditions
Available information indicates that the prison population significantly exceeds the facility’s practical capacity. Dormitories and rooms of limited size accommodate large numbers of prisoners, while the number of beds remains far below the actual population. As a result, many detainees are forced to sleep on the floor.
This persistent overcrowding eliminates meaningful personal space, undermines rest and recovery, and generates continuous physical and psychological pressure, contributing to illness, tension, and long-term harm.
Unit 4 (the “Camp”); Concentration of Overcrowding and Pressure
Unit 4, commonly referred to by detainees as the “camp,” represents one of the most critical sections of Arak Central Prison. Testimonies describe severe overcrowding, widespread floor-sleeping, and additional restrictions on movement and outdoor access.
Conditions in this unit appear inconsistent with rehabilitation objectives and instead reflect a structurally punitive approach.
Restricted Outdoor Access and Imposed Isolation
Access to outdoor space is highly restricted. Prisoners are allowed limited and tightly controlled periods in segregated exercise yards.
Physical barriers separating these areas prevent interaction between groups and create a form of collective isolation, with serious negative consequences for detainees’ mental health and social functioning.
Health and Hygiene Conditions
Sanitary facilities are insufficient for the size of the prison population. Reports indicate limited access to toilets and showers, long queues, water shortages, inadequate ventilation, and a lack of hygiene supplies.
Delays in or denial of effective medical care further place prisoners’ health at ongoing risk and increase the likelihood of infectious and chronic illnesses.
Systematic Forced Labor and Exploitation
One of the most serious human rights concerns in Arak Central Prison is the institutionalized use of forced labor, which operates as an integral component of prison management.
Forced Labor Inside the Prison
Inside Arak Central Prison, at least twenty workshops operate across multiple fields. These workshops are officially described as “vocational training,” but testimonies from released prisoners indicate that they function primarily as mechanisms of labor exploitation.
Prisoners are reportedly assigned to work without genuine consent. Refusal or physical inability to work may result in pressure or deprivation. Wages, when paid, are negligible and bear no relation to the intensity or duration of the labor performed, while the products and profits benefit prison authorities and affiliated networks.
Forced Labor Outside the Prison, Agricultural and Industrial Complex
A second site of forced labor operates outside the main prison under the name of an agricultural and industrial complex, often referred to as the “open prison.” Prisoners are assigned to physically demanding agricultural and industrial tasks without transparent contracts, insurance, or safety protections.
Long working hours, harsh conditions, and unpaid or minimal wages render this system a clear form of forced labor.
Forced Labor as a Tool of Control
Testimonies indicate that forced labor also serves as a disciplinary and control mechanism. Transfer to workshops or external labor sites is reportedly used to pressure prisoners perceived as non-compliant, contributing to psychological exhaustion and dependency.
Reported Practices in the Implementation of Death Sentences
(Based on testimonies of released prisoners)
According to the testimony of a released prisoner, corroborated by consistent accounts from informed sources, the implementation of death sentences in Arak Central Prison involves practices that extend beyond the execution itself and impose severe psychological harm on detainees and others held in the facility.
The witness states that prisoners whose death sentences have become final are forcibly transferred to solitary confinement prior to execution. During this period, all contact with family members, lawyers, and other prisoners is completely cut off, placing the condemned individual in total isolation and extreme psychological pressure.
The same witness reports that after confirmation of the sentence by the Supreme Court, a rope is delivered to the prisoner, accompanied by the statement that “each executed prisoner has his own rope.” According to the testimony, this act functions as an instrument of psychological intimidation, deliberately intended to break the prisoner’s morale rather than serving any procedural necessity.
The witness further states that following execution, the body is reportedly left hanging for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to ensure death, after which it is transported by prison ambulance to the city cemetery.
Awareness of this process, according to the testimony, has a profound psychological impact on other prisoners and reinforces a constant atmosphere of fear within the facility.
If confirmed through independent investigation, such practices would be incompatible with fundamental principles of humane treatment, even in the context of capital punishment.
Failure of Offense-Based Separation
Effective separation of prisoners by type of offense is reportedly not implemented. Individuals held for general crimes, drug-related offenses, and political or security-related charges are often detained under similar conditions and, in some cases, in shared spaces.
This failure heightens physical and psychological risks, particularly for vulnerable detainees.
Structural and Managerial Responsibility
The persistence of these conditions suggests structural deficiencies rather than isolated misconduct. Management practices and oversight mechanisms within the prison and at the provincial level appear insufficient to prevent or address systemic harm.
Responsibility is therefore assessed at an institutional and managerial level, emphasizing structural accountability rather than individual criminal liability.
Human Rights Assessment
The documented conditions raise serious concerns under international human rights standards, including the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the obligation to ensure humane conditions of detention, the right to health, and the prohibition of forced labor.
Overall, the situation appears incompatible with internationally recognized minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.
Conclusion
The findings of this report indicate that Arak Central Prison exemplifies a structural pattern of human rights violations. Chronic overcrowding institutionalized forced labor, inadequate health conditions, abusive execution-related practices, and the absence of effective oversight together form a system that undermines human dignity.
Accurate documentation and sustained attention by international human rights actors are essential to prevent the continuation of these practices and to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals deprived of their liberty.
