With a glance at the situation of ward 350 in Evin prison and hall 12 of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj.

In many standards and human rights reports, the conditions of prisons and treatment of prisoners are always mentioned as indicators for measuring the human approach and adherence to human rights components by governments and authorities. The mental and physical state of prisoners and their families, as individuals deprived of their freedom, are subject to the compliance of governments and authorities with human rights laws.

According to the principle that global human rights recognize no limits or boundaries in the name of prison, these rights include the condition of all detained and imprisoned individuals. These rights include: the right to be treated with dignity, the right to be free from torture and mistreatment, the right to access healthcare, the right to be respected as a human being, the right to a fair trial, the right to be free from discrimination, the right to be free from slavery, the right to freedom of thought, the right to freedom of conscience, the right to freedom of religion, the right to family life, and the right to personal development. (1).

Respecting the rights of detainees and prisoners as vulnerable individuals is of special importance, and according to Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles (1) 2, (1) 10, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations, which emphasizes the enjoyment of rights and freedoms and equality of individuals before the law and non-discrimination, has adopted various documents at the international level to improve the conditions and standards of detention centers and prisoners. One of the most important of these is the “Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners” which provides criteria for the accommodation, nutrition, medical care, and clothing of prisoners. These standards are guiding principles that make prison spaces more humane and show more respect for human rights. These principles were first adopted in 1955 and were amended by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1957 and 1977. In 1988, the United Nations General Assembly also emphasized its commitment to

In Iran, after the revolution, prisons and detention centers were managed by the Prison Supervisory Council until 1985, when this council was transformed into the Prisons and Correctional Measures Organization under the supervision of the Supreme Judicial Council. This organization continues its work to this day. In this process, the Prisons Organization developed a set of regulations called the Executive Regulations of the Prisons and Correctional Measures Organization, which is divided into four sections outlining the responsibilities of prison officials, how to treat suspects and convicts, and their rights and privileges.

With almost 30 years passing since the establishment of the Prison Organization, it is still being managed in the form of regulations and so far no specific and definitive law has been passed in this regard; in a way that the lack of a specific law and its subsequent problems have always been a source of protest for many prisoners, while in the spring of 2012, a number of human rights activists and prisoner lawyers in Evin Prison, announced their readiness to draft a proposal for the Prison Organization Law and present it to the head of the judiciary, but unfortunately no response was given by the officials in this regard.

B.

In general, the prison environment imposes multiple psychological and emotional pressures on inmates due to existing limitations. Considering that no individual should be subjected to more than the sentence they have been given, attention to the mental and physical health of prisoners should be a top priority for officials. Efforts towards improving and sanitizing the prison environment can be divided into two categories: mental and physical health.

A: Mental health.

All activities are aimed at boosting morale, improving mental conditions, and rehabilitating the mind, as well as minimizing potential psychological pressures and stresses in the field of mental health.

Unfortunately, during recent years and especially with the 11-fold increase in the number of prisoners after the revolution, (despite the doubling of the country’s population) and the lack of suitable infrastructure for prisoners, we have witnessed a decline in mental health in prisons. Some of these cases include:

1- Communicating with family members:

One of the main concerns of prisoners (especially political prisoners in various prisons across the country) is the reduction of some of their rights in the regulations of the Prison Organization, subject to the discretion of officials. These include articles 213 and 229 of the regulations, which refer to furlough for prisoners, but political prisoners are rarely eligible for these rights. In fact, some prisoners have been deprived of their furlough rights for more than 10 years. As an example, we can mention Saeed Masouri and Mohammad Nazari in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, or prisoners who, despite having serious illnesses and receiving certificates of inability to endure punishment from competent authorities, are still kept in prison. Ali Moazzami, Mohammad Hassan Yousefipour Sefi, Ahmad Daneshpour Moghadam, and Rahim Bani Taifa are among these prisoners, as well as cases where prisoners have been denied furlough even after the death of their

One of the other issues that prisoners protest against is the matter of visitations. Unfortunately, in prisons, the principle is to have cabin visits and through glass, and regarding in-person visits, according to Article 183 of the regulations, this matter has been left to the discretion of the authorities, and if the accused is deemed fit and well-behaved, it will be granted to them, and the same rule applies to private visits (Article 185).

The prohibition of phone calls in political prisons, especially in wards 350 of Evin prison and ward 12 of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, is another violation of human rights that practically deprives prisoners whose families live in distant cities and are unable to travel to visit them, from communicating with their families.

2- Failure to distinguish convicts from suspects.

Unfortunately, such segregation among political and security prisoners is not practiced by officials in prisons.

3- Lack of transparency in actions and programs.:

The unknown process of decision-making and planning is one of the main factors of mental and psychological stress among prisoners; including the fact that we have often witnessed, despite the extensive efforts of families and the prisoner himself to be transferred to treatment centers outside of prison, these transfers are cancelled in the final minutes for unknown reasons, or even until the final minutes, there is no accurate information about the issuance of a permit for transfer to treatment centers by the prosecution.

In other cases, such as continuing education, we have repeatedly witnessed that despite months of planning and enrollment in university, individuals have been prevented from attending exam areas and taking exams. Preventing participation in exams by Ghanabad Sufis, Mohammad Sadegh Kaboudvand, and Omid Kokabi in the entrance exam for a master’s degree at Payam Noor University is one such example. As a result, their efforts for months go in vain and there are also personal decisions in other cases, such as not allowing prisoners to take furlough and release on time.

4- Sudden exile.

For a prisoner, there is nothing more distressing than being transferred within the prison, even if it is from one room to another; unfortunately, we have often witnessed the arbitrary and sudden exile of prisoners. This means that in their sentence, there was no order for them to be exiled to other prisons.

5- Presence of security institutions in prison and case filing:

We have witnessed numerous times the transfer of prisoners to security detention centers, which poses a serious threat to the mental and emotional well-being of the prisoners. The sudden transfer of prisoners from the general ward to solitary cells has a severely destructive impact on them. It should be noted that these transfers, although prohibited without judicial permission for individuals who have received a sentence in court and are serving their sentence, continue to occur.

B: Physical health and well-being.

Examining the physical condition of prisoners and striving to improve their health is one of the responsibilities of governments, in which there are many influential components.

1- Access to a doctor and psychologist.:

According to Article 102 of the Prison Organization Regulations, prison health care is responsible for monthly medical testing of all prisoners, and upon entry, prisoners must undergo a complete medical examination. If any illness is detected, appropriate treatment must be followed. However, unfortunately, monthly medical testing of all prisoners is not carried out in prisons (at least in Evin and Rajai Shahr prisons), and the most commonly prescribed drugs by doctors are sedatives, sleeping pills, and methadone. It should be noted that these types of prescriptions cause various problems for prisoners who consume these drugs, and their cellmates, including continuous drowsiness, abnormal behavior, insomnia or sleep disorders, and aggression. In many cases, prisoners also face a shortage of medication, to the point that in winter and during the spread of contagious diseases such as colds, adult cold tablets and antihistamines become unavailable.

Psychiatric and psychological counseling is not considered very important in prisons, and despite the presence of pressures and psychological damages that prisoners face, it is practically not given much attention.

2- Sports facilities:

Prisoners in Ward 350 of Evin Prison and Ward 12 of Rajai Shahr Prison are facing limited access to sports facilities. In the past, prisoners in Ward 350 had the opportunity to use the prison’s indoor sports hall, but unfortunately, for unknown reasons, they have been deprived of this opportunity for a long time and are forced to use the inner courtyard of the ward as a place for aerobic exercises. This is despite the fact that the capacity of the ward, which has a courtyard measuring 15 by 15 square meters, gives less than 1.5 square meters per prisoner. It should be noted that the necessity for a group of prisoners to use the ward’s courtyard for sports activities brings problems such as increasing the risk of physical vulnerability due to the uneven ground, depriving other prisoners who are not interested in sports of comfort, and the inability to walk during sports such as football, volleyball, and basketball. However, in Rajai Shahr Prison, there

3- Sanitary facilities inside the enclosure:

Limitations in the number of sanitary services is a serious problem in prisons. For example, Ward 350 of Evin Prison with a nominal capacity of 200 inmates, often accommodates up to 250 inmates. However, it only has 6 showers and 8 toilets, and at times, some of these toilets are unusable due to clogging or lack of hot water for showering.

The lack of separation between dishwashing and bathroom areas is another sanitation issue; on the lower level of building 350, the dishwashing area, toilet, bathroom, and laundry machine are all located in one place, causing hygiene concerns.

According to Article 105 of the regulations, the prison building must be thoroughly disinfected by officials every month. This is done in section 350, approximately every 6 months, only for the purpose of spraying to eliminate cockroaches. In this regard, the supply of hygiene supplies, which was previously provided by the prison for prisoners to clean and maintain the halls, has decreased.

4- Food:

Article 95 of the regulations states that the minimum food program consists of bread, cheese, and tea for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, fresh or dried vegetables, rice, potatoes, onions, legumes, various dairy products, eggs, and seasonal fruits. In addition, prisoners are provided with meat for lunch or dinner at least three times a week. However, unfortunately, the quality of the food provided in prisons is much lower than the minimum program outlined in the regulations. Some meals are not even edible and repetitive meals are served for long periods of time. For example, in the past two months in Evin Prison, in ward 350, lentils were served for dinner almost three times a week and the next day’s lunch was also made with leftover lentils (lentil pilaf). Yogurt (as a dairy product) is only occasionally provided and fruits and vegetables are not provided at all as part of the food ration. Prisoners must purchase their own fruits, vegetables,

Considering all the above, one of the most important factors that seriously threatens the mental and physical health of prisoners in the long term is their lack of access to furlough and continuous presence in the confined space of the prison, which has irreparable and harmful effects on both prisoners and their families.

1- Practical Procedure in Prison: The Application of International Regulations in Prison Affairs, Translator: Reza Ali Akbarpour, Rah-e Tarbiat Publications, Tehran 1381.

2- Human Rights and Pre-Trial Detention, translated by Saber Niavaran, Vafaq Publishing, Tehran 1383.

3- Attachment to the Sharq newspaper, published on 23 Tir month 1390.

In prison literature, prisoners who are charged with espionage, collaborating with enemy states, and communicating with foreigners are usually considered as security prisoners.