On Saturday, August 8, ward housing political prisoners in Evin Prison was subjected to another raid by prison guards. This new wave exhibits an intense focus on pressure, physical assault, and enforced disappearance targeting supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Earlier, Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM) had reported the July 31 raid by prison guards on Ward 7, involving the beating and arbitrary transfer of political prisoners—including Pejman Toubereh-Reizi, Mojtaba Taghavi, Amir-Hossein Moradi (an elite student), all supporters of the PMOI), and Afshin Heyritian (a child rights activist)—and reminded the necessity of immediate international action. Now, just one week later, these attacks against supporters of this organization and protesting prisoners have been repeated once again.
Enforced Disappearance of PMOI Supporters in Evin (Wards 3, 4, and 7)
During the new raid by security forces on Wards 3, 4, and 7 of Evin Prison, in addition to severe beatings of prisoners, their personal belongings were destroyed under the pretext of an “inspection,” and some property was looted. In this attack, a number of political prisoners including Amir-Hossein Moradi, Ehsan Rostami, Pejman Toubereh-Reizi, and Mojtaba Taghavi—who had also been subjected to enforced disappearance in the previous raid—were once again removed from the ward, and no information is currently available regarding their whereabouts or condition.
According to international standards, this action constitutes a clear case of enforced disappearance under Article 1 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and a violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) concerning the right to liberty and security of person. The beatings and covert transfers of prisoners also violate Article 7 of the ICCPR prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Furthermore, the destruction and looting of prisoners’ property represent an explicit breach of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)—specifically Rule 19 (right to keep personal belongings), Rule 67 (prohibition of punitive transfers), and Rule 68 (obligation to properly maintain and transfer prisoner’s property).
From the perspective of the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this conduct violates Article 60 of the Code of Criminal Procedure concerning the mandatory notification of the family of a detained individual, as well as Article 169 of the Executive Regulations of the Prisons Organization regarding the prohibition of destruction or confiscation of prisoner property by officers.
Fabricating New Charges Against PMOI Supporters (Parisa Kamali)
Following the publication of two messages from inside Yazd Central Prison, on Monday, August 10, Parisa Kamali (39 years old, a supporter of the PMOI) was tried in the Revolutionary Court on charges of “media propaganda against the regime.” This comes despite the fact that she had previously been sentenced in May 2024 to six years in prison on charges of “membership in the PMOI,” “acting against national security,” and “destruction of public property.” In her message, Kamali emphasized: “The executioner regime tries to create terror through continuous killings, but we have crossed the boundary of fear.” She has also been exiled to Yazd Prison since last year as a punitive measure.
Her re-trial due to the expression of her opinions is a flagrant violation of Article 14 of the ICCPR regarding the right to a fair trial and the principle of ne bis in idem (prohibition of double jeopardy) for vague and unspecified acts. Furthermore, this action violates Article 19 of the ICCPR regarding the right to freedom of expression—even while inside prison.
At the level of the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this procedure violates Article 168 of the Constitution, which mandates public trials for political offenses. Additionally, trying an individual for sending messages or expressing opinions violates Article 23 of the Constitution (prohibition of the investigation of beliefs), Article 24 of the Constitution (freedom of expression), and Article 175 of the Executive Regulations of the Prisons Organization concerning a prisoner’s right to correspondence and expression.
Torture in Solitary Confinement (Masoud Jamei) for Protesting in Prison
Masoud Jamei, a supporter of the PMOI who was arrested in the summer of 2023 and sentenced in July 2025 by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court (headed by Judge Adibimehr) to two death sentences and one year in prison on charges of “Moharebeh” (enmity against God), “assembly and collusion,” “membership in the PMOI,” and “propaganda against the regime,” is currently being held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. Due to his protest against the deplorable conditions of the prison, he has been transferred in the severe and unbearable heat of Ahvaz to a solitary confinement cell lacking any ventilation or cooling system—a situation that severely threatens his physical and mental health.
From the perspective of international law, this measure constitutes a clear case of physical and psychological torture as well as cruel and degrading treatment, directly violating Article 7 of the ICCPR and Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Furthermore, this treatment completely contradicts the Nelson Mandela Rules—specifically Rule 30 (strict restrictions on the use of solitary confinement) and Rule 45 (necessity of providing appropriate environmental conditions including ventilation, temperature, and physical health).
From the perspective of the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this action violates Article 169 of the Islamic Penal Code, which prohibits any form of torture to extract confessions or harass prisoners. Additionally, Article 95 of the Executive Regulations of the Prisons Organization, which emphasizes the necessity of providing adequate health, ventilation, and temperature conditions in detention facilities, has been blatantly breached.
Wave of Arbitrary Arrests of PMOI Supporters Over the Past 3 Months
Concurrently with the pressure inside prisons, the judiciary and intelligence apparatuses have initiated a new wave of arbitrary arrests of PMOI supporters across various cities. No information is currently available regarding the status of many of these arbitrarily detained individuals. The names of 11 recent detainees are as follows:
- Abolhassan Gholamreza-Nasab: 42 years old, from Sarbaz, father of one child (Arrested: Bam, May 2026)
- Ali-Akbar Karimi: 42 years old, from Chenaran, electrician, married with two children (Arrested: Chenaran, May 2026)
- Amir-Hossein Bodaghi: 21 years old, from Khoy, student at the University of Tabriz (Arrested: Urmia, May 2026)
- Mahmoud-Ali Arab: 20 years old, from Azadshahr, Golestan (Arrested: Azadshahr, May 2026)
- Ehsan Sahrai: 45 years old, from Shahreza, married with two children (Arrested: Shahreza, May 2026)
- Alireza Dahmardeh: 18 years old, from Zibashahr, Zahedan (Arrested: Zahedan, June 2026)
- Javad Behzadi: 34 years old, from Firuzabad, Fars, tiler, father of two children (Arrested: Bushehr, June 2026 – his brother, Ehsan Behzadi, 29, is also in prison)
- Ghazal Sayyadi: 38 years old, from Tehran (Arrested: Andisheh, Tehran, July 2026)
- Ashkan Mortazavi: 38 years old, from Sarpol-e Zahab, bachelor’s degree holder, resident of Mohammadshahr, Karaj (Arrested: Karaj, July 2026)
- Benyamin Obeidi: 41 years old, from Masal, Gilan, PhD in Arts, father of one child (Arrested: Masal, July 2026)
- Amir-Aslan Mamneh: 20 years old, from Ilam (Arrested: Ilam, July 2026; he was previously arrested in September 2025)
These arrests—due to the lack of disclosure regarding charges, complete ignorance of families concerning the detention locations, and absence of any judicial transparency—constitute clear examples of arbitrary detention. According to Article 9 of the ICCPR and paragraph 1 of Article 9 of the UDHR, no one shall be deprived of liberty without legal grounds, without notification of charges, and without the ability to seek judicial recourse. The lack of information regarding the fate of these individuals is a direct violation of these international standards.
From the perspective of the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this conduct is also unlawful. Article 5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure stresses the immediate notification of the detainee regarding their charges and enabling communication with family, while Article 6 of the same law mandates that a detainee must be allowed to inform their family of their situation at the earliest opportunity. Non-compliance with these legal obligations in recent arrests is a clear violation of citizens’ fundamental rights under Iranian domestic law. Furthermore, given that the detained individuals have not been informed of their charges, this situation also violates Article 32 of the Constitution, which highlights the necessity of immediate notification of charges.
Escalation of Repression and Retaliation Against Protesting Voices in Other Prisons
- In Lakan Prison, Rasht: Hamzeh Darvish, a Sunni political prisoner, was severely beaten after exposing details regarding legal and health conditions inside the prison. The assault was so severe that fellow prisoners had to transport his semi-conscious body to the medical clinic on a stretcher. This conduct demonstrates the deployment of organized violence against critical prisoners and the use of force to suppress protests within prison walls.
- In Qezel Hesar Prison, Karaj: In reaction to a widespread hunger strike involving approximately 1,500 prisoners, authorities installed powerful jamming devices (signal jammers) in Unit 2. Beyond imposing a complete blackout on communications, these devices have caused severe physical side effects, including dizziness, nausea, acute headaches, and neurological distress—effectively targeting the health of prisoners and amounting to collective punishment.
From the perspective of international law, beating a critical prisoner and inflicting severe injury constitutes a clear case of torture and a violation of the right to life and health under Articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Furthermore, the deliberate installation of signal jammers with full awareness of their harmful physical and psychological effects represents collective punishment and cruel and inhuman treatment, both of which are strictly prohibited under all international human rights standards.
From the perspective of the domestic laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, these measures are also illegal. Beating a prisoner violates Article 578 of the Islamic Penal Code, which criminalizes any physical abuse or harassment of prisoners by officials. Additionally, installing signal jammers and causing widespread physical harm violates Article 170 of the Executive Regulations of the Prisons Organization, which places full responsibility for protecting the physical and mental health of prisoners on detention facility authorities.
Imperative for Urgent International Action
The widespread and organized scope of repression targeting supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and other protesting prisoners requires the UN Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission to place the following urgent and binding measures on their agenda:
- Official Condemnation and International Prosecution: Issue an official statement of condemnation and initiate international legal prosecution against those who ordered and executed the beatings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other grave human rights violations in Iranian prisons.
- Unmediated Prison Visits: Compel the Iranian government to grant immediate and unrestricted access to the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission to inspect Evin, Sheiban, Ghezel Hesar, Yazd, and Lakan prisons, and ensure unmonitored interviews with prisoners without the presence of security personnel or interference from judicial and intelligence authorities.
- Immediate Determination of the Status of the Disappeared: Take urgent steps to clarify the detention locations, health conditions, and legal status of prisoners who have been subjected to enforced disappearance during raids and forced transfers, and whose families remain uninformed of their fate.
- Guaranteeing Access to Legal Counsel and Family Contact: Demand that the Iranian government immediately guarantee prisoners’ rights to independent legal representation and communication with their families, while halting communication blackouts and unlawful restrictions.
