Report on latest condition of female political prisoners in Iran

, Women Committee of Human Rights Reporters – After women’s day was celebrated in the world, there are still a large number of female political prisoners accused of civil, and human rights activism who are serving prison terms behind bars throughout Iran.

During the past months a number of female prisoners were released after serving their sentences. Among the released are Ronak Safarzadeh (Sanandaj prison), Zeinab Bayazidi (Zanjan prison), Fereshteh Shirazi (Amel prison), Nazanin Deyhimi, Negar Haeri, Ladan Mastoufi and Haniyeh Farshi Shotorban (Evin prison).Following is a list of female prisoners in various prisons throughout the country. This list does not incorporate all female prisoners of conscience.

Evin Prison:

1 – Besmeh Al-Jabouri - Iraqi prisoner, charged with espionage for Iraq, 5-year sentence, has served one and a half years.

2 – Bahare Hedayat - student and women’s rights activist, member of Daftare Tahkime Vehdat (Student Unity), prior arrest in 05 stemming from student and women’s rights activism, arrested during aftermath of the contested 09 presidential elections, 10-year sentence, has served more than 3 years, presently out on medical furlough.

3 – Behnaz Zakeri - Swedish national detained as she entered the country, charged with connections to the Mujahedin political party (MEK), 10-year sentence, has served about 8 months.

4 – Hakimeh Shokri – member of Mourning Mothers, arrested in December 2010 after attending funeral services of Amirashed Tajmir (killed during time of mass protests after the 09 contested presidential elections), 3-year sentence, has served 4 months.

5 - Reyhaneh Haj Ebrahim Dabagh – among the many arrested during time of “Ashoura 88” protests, charged with connections to the Mujahedin political party (MEK), death sentence, later commuted to 15-year sentence, has served over 3 years with no furlough.

6 – Jila Baniyaghoub – journalist and women’s rights activist, one-year prison sentence and 30-year ban on press activities, has served 6 months. Her husband Bahman Ahmadi Amoui is a journalist with a 5-year sentence behind bars in Rajai Shahr prison and presently out on furlough.

7 – Jila Karamzadeh Makvandi - poet and member of Mourning Mothers, arrested after 09 contested presidential elections, 2-year sentence, has served one year with no furlough.

8 – Shabnam Madadzadeh – former student activist, arrested in March 09, charged with connections to Mujahedin political party (MEK), 5-year sentence, has served over 4 years. Her brother Farzad Madadzadeh held in Rajai Shahr prison on same charges.

9 – Shiva Nazarahari – human rights activist, member of CHRR, detained twice after contested 09 presidential elections, 4-year sentence and 74 lashes, has served one and a half years, granted furlough on March 12, 2013.

10 – Sedigheh Moradi – charged with connections to Mujahidin party (MEK), 10-year sentence, has served over a year.

11 – Saghra Gholamnejad – charged with connections to Mujahidin party (MEK), 2-year sentence, has served one year.

12 – Faezeh Hashemi – political activist, 6-month sentence, has served 5 months.

13 – Fariba Kamalabadi – Baha’i citizen, member of 7-person group Yarane Iran, 20-year sentence, has served over 5 years without furlough.

14 – Faran Hesami – Baha’i citizen, 5-year sentence, mother of toddler has served over 8 months. Her husband Kamran Rahimian is spending 5-year sentence behind bars in Rajai Shahr prison.

15 – Kobra Banazadeh Amirkhizi – detained during attempt to visit her son in Iraq, charged with connections to Mujahedin party (MEK), 5-year sentence, has served over 4 years without furlough.

16 – Kefayat Malek Mohammadi – arrested during “Ashura 88” events with her husband, charged with connections to Mujahedin party (MEK), 5-year sentence, has served over 3 years.

17 – Lava Khanjani – Baha’i citizen, 2-year sentence, has served 8 months. Her brother Foad Khanjani is serving 4-year prison sentence in Rajai Shahr prison.

18 – Aliyeh Tabrayiyan – 2-year sentence, has served about 6 months.

19 – Asal Esmailzadeh – Green movement activist, 2-year sentence, has served 2 months, granted furlough on March 14, 2013.

20 – Mahboubeh Karami – member of One Million Signatures Campaign, charged with membership in Human Rights Activists in Iran, 3-year sentence, has served over 2 years.

21 – Mahboubeh Mansouri – charged with connections to Mujahedin party (MEK), 2-year sentence, presently out on furlough.

22 – Maryam Akbari Monfared – arrested during time of “Ashura 88” protests, charged with connections to Mujahedin party (MEK), 15-year sentence, mother of 3 has served 3 years without furlough.

23 – Maryam Jalili – Christian convert charged with changing her religion, 2.5-year sentence, has served about a year.

24 – Motehareh Bahrami – arrested during time of “Ashura 88” protests (along with her husband Mohsen Daneshpour Moghadam, her son Ahmad Daneshpour Moghadam, and 2 friends Reyhaneh Haj Ebrahim Dabagh and Hadi Ghaemi), death sentence, commuted to 10-year sentence, has served over 3 years without furlough despite numerous illnesses.

25 - Mitra Zahmati – Christian convert charged with changing her religion, 2.5-year sentence, has served about a year and half without furlough.

26 – Manijeh Najm Araghi – translator, writer, member of Writers Association of Iran and women’s rights activist, one-year sentence, has served about 10 months.

27 – Manijeh Nasrollahi – Baha’i citizen, 3.5-year sentence, has served over 3 years.

28 – Mahsa Amrabadi – journalist, 2-year prison sentence, has served over a year. Her husband journalist Masoud Bastani serving sentence at Rajai Shahr prison and is presently out on furlough.

29 – Mahvash Shahriari – Baha’i citizen, member of 7-person group Yarane Iran, 20-year sentence, has served over 5 years without furlough.

30 – Nasrin Sotoudeh – lawyer and human rights activist, 6-year sentence, has served about 2.5 years. Mother of 2 has launched 4 hunger strikes behind bars in protest of the unlawful treatment of herself and her family members.

31 – Nasim Soltan Beygi – journalist and former student activist, 3-year sentence, has served about 7 months.

32 – Nooshin Khadam – Baha’i citizen, professor at BIHE (a Baha’i online university), 4-year sentence, has served over 1.5 years.

33 – Haniyeh Sanae Farshi – political activist charged with “insulting the holy”, “propaganda against the regime”, “acting against national security,” 7-year sentence commuted to 5-years, has served more than 2.5 years with no furlough.

Kermanshah prison:

34 – Zeynab Jalalian – Kurdish citizen, member of the PKK, arrested in Kermanshah in 08 and transferred to Sanandaj prison, endured severe torture in long periods of solitary confinement, charged with “moharebeh” (enmity with God), death sentence later commuted to life in prison, has served her time in Kermanshah prison without any furlough.

Ahvaz prison:

35 – Fatemeh Rahnama – arrested during time of “Ashura 88” protests, close to Zahra Rahnavard, jailed at age 19 on charge of “connections with MEK,” now handed a 10-year sentence on same charge, serving her sentence in Ahvaz prison.

Gharchak & Ramin prison:

36 – Raheleh Zakayee – lesser-known prisoner, charged with “propaganda against the regime,” one-year sentence, was recently transferred from Evin to Gharchak & Ramin prison without explanation.

Semnan prison:

37 – Taraneh Tarabi – Baha’i citizen, charged with following Baha’i faith, 2.5-year sentence, has served 5 months. In October 2012 she was transferred to Semnan prison with her newborn despite the fact that the conditions in this prison are not at all suitable for a baby.

38 – Zohreh Nikaeen – Baha’i citizen, charged with following Baha’i faith, 23-month sentence, has served 5 months. In October 2012 she was transferred to Semnan prison with her toddler despite the fact that the conditions in this prison are not at all suitable for a toddler.

39 – Rofia Beydaghi – Baha’i citizen, charged with following the Baha’i faith, one-year sentence. The father of this prisoner is also behind bars in Semnan prison.

40 – Jinous Nourani – Baha’i citizen, charged with following the Baha’i faith, one-year sentence.

Mashhad prison:

41 – Rozita Vaseghi – Baha’i citizen, charged with “advertising the Baha’i faith” and “insulting the holy”, 5-year sentence. Despite spending half her sentence behind bars with 6 months in solitary, she has not been granted any furlough.

42 – Sima Ashrafi – Baha’i citizen, charged with “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the holy,” 5-year sentence, served 2.5 years. The mother of two has not been granted her right to furlough despite having spent over half her term behind bars.

43 – Nahid Ghadiri – Baha’i citizen from Mashhad, charged with “advertising the Baha’i faith,” 5-year sentence, has served 2 years 6 months, in poor health.

House Arrest:

44 – Zahra Rahnavard – Put under house arrest with her husband Mir Hossein Mousavi since February 15, 2011. She has not been tried in any court or handed any sentencing. She is deprived of all her rights as a prisoner and has had very rare supervised visitations with family.