Subject: Investigation into inhumane conditions, torture, and direct transfer to execution in the secret wards of Qezel Hesar Prison.
Source: Direct testimony from recently released protesters detained during the January 2026 (Dey 1404) nationwide protests.
Introduction
This report is based on the firsthand experiences of individuals detained during the January 2026 nationwide protests. These documents demonstrate that in Ward 35 of Qezel Hesar Prison, not only are the legal rights of prisoners ignored, but human dignity is severely trampled. This location has transformed into a site for systematic torture and a direct corridor to the gallows; a structure specifically engineered to break the will of protesters and facilitate their physical elimination through an extrajudicial process.
I- The Structure of Ward 35: Engineering Isolation and Execution
According to precise observations, this ward—managed by an individual named Mohammadzadeh—is designed with a specific structure for maximum control:
- Physical Structure: Two parallel U-shaped hallways consisting of 30 solitary cells. In each 12-square-meter cell, instead of one person, 8 to 10 prisoners are held in foul-smelling conditions without ventilation (with toilets located inside the cells).
- Sub-units and Direct Transfer: In addition to the main ward, at least two sub-units have been identified within this complex. Shocking reports indicate that prisoners are transferred from these lateral units directly to execution, bypassing the usual administrative and judicial procedures. This structure reduces the distance between detention and execution to a minimum, inflicting extraordinary psychological torture on the detainees.
II- The Argument for “Systematic Elimination”: Why This is an Organized Crime
We refer to this process as a “Cycle of Systematic Elimination” because it is built upon a repetitive and purposeful pattern:
- Regulatory Vacuum: By completely cutting off phone calls, banning visits, and preventing access to lawyers, the prisoner is placed in a “legal black hole.”
- Arbitrary Mass Charges: Assigning charges such as “espionage” and “Moharebeh” (waging war against God) to street protesters without a shred of evidence indicates an intent beyond mere punishment—it is aimed at the physical destruction of protesters.
- Death Engineering: When a prison’s structure is designed so that the entry is “illegal detention” and the exit is “direct transfer to the gallows” from secret wards, we are facing a systematic killing machine intended to physically eliminate political opponents.
Evidence of Intent: The Recent Threat by Mohseni-Eje’i
On April 19, 2026 (30 Farvardin 1405), Mohseni-Eje’i, the Head of the Judiciary, renewed his threats to continue the slaughter and crimes against humanity. The international community has largely ignored these threats, failing to take action to save those on death row. As reported by Entekhab (citing Mizan):
“The Head of the Judiciary stated: In dealing with cases of ‘infantry elements’ aligned with the aggressive enemy, the ‘normal routine’ should not prevail… For instance, under normal circumstances, if a case faces a deficiency in the investigation, the judicial authority would place the file at the disposal of the law enforcement agent for 10 days; however, now that the Judiciary has taken a ‘war footing,’ when a judicial official hands a file to an agent in the morning for investigation, they must demand its return by the afternoon. … Officials must not permit any delay or hesitation in implementing final sentences, whether they involve ‘deprivation of life’ or ‘confiscation of property’.”
III- Torture and the Trampling of Human Dignity
In this ward, human dignity is severely trampled through the following means:
- Disciplinary Torture: Prisoners are shackled to iron rings in the hallways for long hours in response to the most basic requests (such as food or clean water).
- Inhumane Living Conditions: The use of contaminated water, the stench of toilets inside overcrowded cells, and absolute deprivation of fresh air serve as tools for the physical and mental erosion of detainees.
IV- Legal Analysis: Violated Provisions
The following international laws are being systematically violated:
- Violation of Personal Security (Article 9, UDHR): Detention in undisclosed locations and new warehouses without notifying families.
- Violation of the Right to Life and Fair Trial (Articles 3 & 10, UDHR): Hasty executions from sub-units without legal formalities.
- Violation of the Prohibition of Torture (Article 5, UDHR & Article 7, ICCPR): Shackling, beatings, and environmental/white torture.
- Violation of Fair Trial Standards (Articles 10 & 11, UDHR & Article 14, ICCPR): Deprivation of counsel and lack of evidence render the proceedings void.
- Violation of Human Dignity (Article 10, ICCPR): This article explicitly states that all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person—a principle entirely discarded in Qezel Hesar.
- Violation of the Right to Health (Article 25, UDHR): Water contamination and lack of medical care, leading to reported deaths.
V- Conclusion and Demands to International Bodies
The silence and inaction of international human rights organizations regarding the tragedy unfolding in prisons like Qezel Hesar act as a green light for the continuation of these crimes.
We call upon the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Fact-Finding Mission, and the Special Rapporteur (Ms. Mai Sato) to:
- Dispatch an Urgent Inspection Mission: To conduct unannounced visits to Ward 35 and the secret sub-units in Qezel Hesar.
- Halt the Execution Machine: Maximize diplomatic and legal pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop executions originating from these secret wards.
We remind you: Every day of delay in a decisive response means more nooses being hung in the U-shaped hallways of Qezel Hesar. The moral and legal responsibility for every life lost in this “Cycle of Systematic Elimination” lies directly with the institutions tasked with monitoring human rights that have remained silent in the face of this “Slaughterhouse.”
