The notorious Qarchak Prison, located in a desert outside Tehran, has long served as a grim symbol of repression in Iran.
Now, the deaths of several inmates have reignited calls for the authorities to close the facility, which is believed to be one of the world’s largest women’s prisons.
Authorities have defended the conditions at the facility and even talked up its amenities. But former inmates say the prison suffers from severe overcrowding, poor sanitation, and an acute lack of adequate medical care.
Human rights groups have attributed medical neglect as the main reason for the deaths of three female inmates in the past month.
In response, some 150 former inmates issued a joint statement on September 29 condemning the “systematic” deaths of prisoners in Qarchak and demanding the prison’s closure.
Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who served time in Qarchak, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the prison is “uninhabitable.”
Having long advocated for its closure, Sotoudeh initially sought ways to reform the facility but eventually concluded that it should be shut down.
Photojournalist and rights activist Alieh Motalebzadeh, who has interviewed former inmates, said many complained about scorpions and snakes in the facility.
Motalebzadeh, speaking to Radio Farda, accused judicial officials, prison authorities, and medical staff of showing “no respect toward women prisoners.” She said the authorities believe women at the facility deserved to be mistreated.
When Israel bombed Evin Prison in Tehran during the 12-day war with Iran in June, dozens of women prisoners there were transferred to Qarchak.
But many of these prisoners remain in Qarchak, despite Evin reopening, rights groups say.
Sotoudeh said that keeping the prisoners in Qarchak was “payback” against women, who played a key role in the unprecedented antiestablishment protests that rocked the country in 2022.
The renewed calls to shut down Qarchak Prison came after a string of deaths at the facility, which is believed to house several thousand inmates and has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
Iranian activist Somayeh Rashidi, labeled as a political prisoner by multiple groups, died in Qarchak on September 25.
The 42-year-old’s death came 10 days after she suffered seizures, leading cellmates and rights organizations to accuse authorities of failing to provide necessary care for the woman.
One of Rashidi’s cellmates told Radio Farda she “had epilepsy, had constant seizures, and suffered from severe headaches, and every time she went to the prison doctor, she was told she was malnourished and was sent back to the ward.”
Sudabeh Asadi, who was jailed for financial offenses, died in Qarchak on September 16 after falling ill and being denied specialized medical care outside the prison.
Somayeh Rashidi, who was also incarcerated on financial charges, died after being refused timely treatment despite signs of cardiac distress.
