The prisoners confined in Evin prison are under very harsh condition these days due to shortage of heating fuel.
According to reports received by Kalameh, the heating system in Evin prison has not been working recently due to a lack of heating fuel, thus creating an unbearable condition for the prisoners.
In the last few days the prisoners have had to use cold water for taking showers.
It should be noted that the political prisoners in Wards 209, 350, 2-A and the women’s political prisoner ward, already were under harsher condition then the regular prisoners.
Evin officials have told the prisoners that they will not have heating fuel for another ten days.
Evin prison holds 8000 inmates, including the political prisoners, that have been without heat or hot water and not able to bathe for the last few days.
Most of the inmates are suffering from a cold and other illnesses, and are under harsh conditions, causing much concern and worries for the families of the inmates.
The families of inmates in Evin don’t know which authorities to complain to. Their only request is for the authorities to pay attention to the welfare of the prisoners and to put an end to these existing harsh conditions.
Evin Detention Center is located in Evin valley in northern part of Tehran and the area usually has lower temperature than other parts of Tehran. This temperature variation is even more so in the winter months, and, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, is making the families of the inmates more concerned and worried for their well being.
According to reports, these days common cold is highly prevalent among the inmates in Evin. But the medical clinic in Evin is not able to provide care and medicine to all the inmates. In particular, the political prisoners are deprived of medical care.
Critical conditions for political prisoners:
Most of the political prisoners in Evin are incarcerated in Wards 209, 350 and Ward 2-A which is under the control of IRGC.
Because these prisoners already were kept under more restrictive conditions, they now have to bear even harsher conditions.
Ward 350 in Evin is located in the basement and these days, it has been divided into two sections for men and women.
This ward that is located in the basement of an isolated building lacking proper facilities and is in much worse condition than the other sections in Evin prison.
This ward has only four bathroom facilities, that even under the regular circumstances are sub-standard. It does not meet the needs of the 180 inmates, most of whom are political prisoners that were arrested during the post-presidential election events.
These days the prisoners in this ward suffer in extreme cold conditions and are deprived warm water for taking showers.
Currently, large numbers prisoners of conscience-political prisoners, including many journalists and student activist supporters of the Green Movement, are incarcerated in this ward.
At the far end of this ward there is a hall, without any facilities or fresh air, that houses the female political prisoners.
There are more than thirty female political prisoners incarcerated in this section that barely has the proper facilities for holding ten inmates.
The female political prisoners that were already deprived of fresh air or any proper amenities, and with sub-standard sanitation, now have to tolerate extreme cold and harsher conditions.
Nasrin Sotoudeh, Bahareh Hedayat, Zhilla Karamzadeh, Mahdiyeh Golro, Atefeh Nabavi and many more are incarcerated in this section.
Wards 209 and 2-A prisoners are in even harsher and in a more difficult situation:
Conditions are even much worse in Evin Wards 209 and 2-A. These Wards are essentially illegal and are not under jurisdiction of the Judiciary. They keep the prisoners in these wards under whatever condition they want and Judicial officials are not allowed to visit these sections.
Ward 209 cells are equipped with solid doors and the cells are very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer.
The cells in Ward 209 do not have beds, and even in the cold winter season, the prisoners have to sleep on the floor which is covered only by a thin carpet.
The cells in this ward are normally very cold in the winter and now with no heating, the prisoners are suffering much harsher conditions.
Officials even deny the prisoners in Wards 209 and 2-A any extra blankets. They even refuse to give the prisoners the warmer clothing that their families provide for them.
The families of inmates in Evin prison provide seasonal clothing for the prisoners which are given to the inmates by the officials.
The prisoners in these two wards have to spend the night on the cold floor of their cells.
Incarcerated in these 2 Wards are people such as, Behzad Nabavi, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Abdolfatah Soltani, Kohyar Goudarzi and large numbers of political and student activists.
Also, newly arrested prisoners, Parasto Dookouhaki, Marziyeh Rasouli, Arash Sadeghi and Saham Bourghani are now incarcerated in these wards.
At times, the arrested activists are kept in these illegal wards for months in a limbo status.
Most of the officials and authorities except for the very high rank Judiciary officials are barred from visiting these wards. Even numerous requests from the Parliament members to inspect these wards have been denied by the Intelligence officials.
After hearing of no heating fuel in Evin, the families of the political prisoners request that the District Attorney and the Judiciary officials address this situation. They ask the officials not to forget that they are responsible for the well being of these prisoners, especially the political prisoners that are incarcerated only for their ideology. The officials must provide the prisoners with proper conditions for the duration of their imprisonment.
Trranslate by Persianbanoo
Source: Kalameh