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IRAN - IHR Report on Alarming Prison Conditions
March 18, 2026: March 18, 2026 - IRAN. IHR Report on Alarming Prison Conditions
Since the outbreak of war and amid the continuing nationwide internet shutdown, IHRNGO has received alarming reports regarding the situation of prisoners in Iran. Reports indicate a pattern of serious human rights violations, including food shortages, the closure of prison commissaries, denial of adequate medical care, unsanitary and degrading detention conditions, severe restrictions on prisoners’ access to basic necessities, arbitrary transfers and the increasing militarisation of prisons. In at least two prisons, these conditions have led to protests by prisoners and collective hunger strikes. At least one prisoner has died as a result of being denied medical care.
Iran Human Rights has received alarming reports about conditions in prisons across Iran since the start of the war on 28 February 2026. The control of a number of prisons in Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Lorestan, West Azerbaijan, Qom, Qazvin and Tehran have reportedly been fully handed over to NOPO counter-terrorism special units, creating heavily militarised environments in the prisons.
According to reports received by IHRNGO, while many prisoners convicted of financial crimes and lighter charges have been temporarily furloughed, death row prisoners, prisoners of conscience and those serving lengthy sentences have been left behind in deteriorating conditions or transferred to unknown locations.
Tehran and Alborz provinces
IHRNGO has received reports from Evin Prison and the Greater Tehran Penitentiary (Fashafuyeh) in Tehran and Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj.
Speaking to IHRNGO about an outbreak of colds in Ward 7 of Evin Prison where prisoners of conscience are held, an informed source said: “They are being denied medical care. The hot water has been cut off and the electricity is supplied through a generator.” The source also confirmed reports of food rationing and the closure of the prison commissary since the start of the war.
Another informed source told IHRNGO: “Prisoners in Ward 2 of Ghezelhesar Prison have collectively gone on hunger strike and have refused to accept the already minimal food provided by the prison. The prison commissary is closed and prisoners have no access to the infirmary or medical services. Most prisoners in this ward are serving sentences for drug-related offences and have demanded to be allowed to stay with their families during these wartime conditions.”
In October 2025, more than 1500 death row prisoners in Ward 2 went on a six-day hunger strike in protest against the death penalty. On the sixth day, a group of officials came to the prison, promising to halt drug executions until a new amendment was introduced. At the time of writing, no drug-related executions have been recorded at Ghezelhesar Prison as a result of their bravery and collective action.
Conditions have also deteriorated severely in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary (Fashafuyeh) after the airstrikes in the surrounding area on 2 March. Following the strikes, some prisoners reportedly tried to leave the prison but were met with force. Prisoners reported acute shortages of water, food and basic necessities, while electricity is intermittent and the gas supply has been cut off. The prison commissary is also closed at the prison.
According to an informed source, when families of prisoners attempted to take food and basic necessities for their loved ones, they were dispersed by gunshots being fired into the air.
Fars province
Meanwhile, in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison, the shortage of food rations and poor sanitary conditions have reached catastrophic levels. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Prison officials are giving prisoners leftover food from previous days. For more than ten days the hot water system in the prison showers has been cut off. In addition, blocked sewage in Wards 8 and 9, combined with the failure to address the problem, has created a completely unsanitary and unbearable environment.”
The source continued: “While many prisoners convicted of financial offences, dowry disputes and personal altercations have been granted leave or released to their homes, prisoners accused of murder or drug-related offences remain in detention. Reports also indicate that several political prisoners have been transferred to unknown locations, while others are being held under supervision in single or double cells in the ‘Be’sat Unit’ building. Due to staff shortages, most prison guards and ward officers have left the prison and operations are now managed on a shift basis. Restrictions are extremely severe. Outdoor time has been reduced to only thirty minutes per day and all connecting doors between sections have been closed. The situation of newly detained prisoners is also critical. Overcrowding in the ‘new arrivals’ ward is so severe that prisoners are forced to sleep on the floor even in front of the toilets.”
Gilan province
At least 30 people arrested on charges of “espionage” and “forming illegal groups” have been transferred to Rasht (Lakan) Central Prison. The majority of the detainees are Rasht natives.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “All 30 prisoners are being held in a newly built quarantine section behind Ward 2, which is completely isolated. The prison is under strict security conditions and most officials from the Prisons Organisation are no longer present. Instead, forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have taken full control of the prison.”
“On 28 February, a large number of detainees were brought to this prison. They were security personnel who had been arrested for refusing orders. The identities of three of them have been confirmed as Hatem Rashidi, Mozaffar Mazloum and Shahrouz Shadman, who had served in the police special units. Shahrouz Shadman lost two brothers during the Iran-Iraq war. Most prison soldiers have fled and returned to their hometowns. Furthermore, around a dozen political prisoners who had previously been held in this prison were transferred to unknown locations during the first three days of the war,” the source added.
Qazvin province
The situation of prisoners in Qazvin (Choobindar) Central Prison is also deeply concerning. An informed source told IHRNGO: “The atmosphere in Qazvin Prison has become extremely securitised. The heavy presence of Special Units, police forces and Basij members has created a tense and chaotic environment inside the prison. The prison commissary has been completely closed and prisoners are struggling to obtain even the most basic necessities.”
The source added: “Mistreatment of prisoners by officers has become routine. In an inhumane incident, two Basij members entered Ward 3 and gained prisoners’ trust by claiming they would purchase food and drinking water for them. They collected the prisoners’ cards. After two hours they returned the cards, but it later became clear that nothing had been purchased and that the balances of all the cards had been completely emptied and stolen.”
Qom province
Reports from Qom Central Prison also indicate that prisoners are being held in extremely alarming conditions. An informed source told IHRNGO: “The prison in Qom is currently under the direct control of NOPO special forces and the situation there is far worse and more critical than in other prisons. The facility has been completely isolated and due to extreme overcrowding and intense psychological pressure, violent clashes have occurred between prisoners. Yet, prison authorities have taken no steps to control the violence or ensure prisoners’ safety.”
“The crisis in the prison infirmary has reached a critical level. Sick prisoners are being denied access to doctors. In a documented case on 9 March, a prisoner named Hamed Abbaszadeh from Malard in Tehran province, who had been detained on drug-related charges, died due to diabetes and the lack of medical care. The shortage of medication is severe. Only five packs of ordinary pills have been provided to the ward representative to distribute among prisoners suffering from headaches or colds. There are effectively no specialised medicines or medical services available,” the source added.
Kurdistan province
In Marivan Prison which was partially damaged during United States and Israeli air strikes on 1st March, the prison facility is no longer functioning normally and prison staff are reportedly operating on a temporary and mobile basis. An informed source in Marivan told IHRNGO that detainees in the city are being transferred to prisons in nearby towns.
In Sanandaj, administrative matters related to prisoners, including furlough requests and case reviews, are currently being handled at the local office of the Jihad Construction Department (Jahade Sazandegi) rather than within the prison itself.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8654/ (Source: IHR)
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