Authorities have reportedly severed telephone access for several female political prisoners in Evin Prison as pressure on political detainees continues to intensify across Iran’s prison system.
Iranian authorities have cut telephone communications for a number of female political prisoners held in Evin Prison, according to reports received this week, in what appears to be the latest measure targeting political detainees and their families.
The affected prisoners reportedly include Shiva Esmaili, Marzieh Farsi, Forough Taghipour, Zahra Safaei, Elaheh Fooladi, Golrokh Iraee, and Sakineh Parvaneh, all of whom are serving prison sentences on political charges.
Among them, Shiva Esmaili, 60, was arrested in Tehran in March 2023 and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. Marzieh Farsi, 59, was arrested in August 2023 and sentenced to six years. Forough Taghipour, 32, was arrested for a second time in August 2023 and sentenced to six years in prison.
Golrokh Iraee was arrested in October 2022 and sentenced to six years. She had previously spent six years in prison following an earlier arrest in 2016 and was rearrested shortly after her release. Sakineh Parvaneh was arrested in April 2023 and sentenced to six years after previously serving a three-year prison term following her 2020 arrest.
Zahra Safaei, 63, was arrested in September 2023 and sentenced to five years in prison. It is her third imprisonment; she previously spent eight years in prison during the 1980s because of her support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Elaheh Fooladi was arrested in December 2023 and sentenced to five years.
The reported communication restrictions come amid broader concerns about conditions facing political prisoners throughout Iran. Reports from Ghezel Hesar Prison indicate that detainees arrested during the January 2026 uprising are being held in overcrowded conditions in Wards 35 and 37 of Unit 3, where many reportedly suffer from untreated injuries, including broken bones and dental trauma sustained during arrest and interrogation.
According to the reports, Ward 37 houses approximately 200 prisoners and lacks any cooling system despite high temperatures. Water shortages are reportedly frequent, and prisoners have been pressured to pay for water supplied by tanker trucks.
In a separate development, former political prisoner Milad Sajadian, 32, was reportedly arrested in Shiraz. After launching a hunger strike in protest, he was hospitalized after seven days and later transferred to Adelabad Prison. Reports indicate that he has recently been moved from the prison to an undisclosed location, and no information has been released regarding his whereabouts or condition. Sajadian had previously been arrested in January 2022 and again in September 2023, serving a total of three years in prison because of support for the PMOI.
The latest reports come amid a wider crackdown on political prisoners and their families. In recent weeks, relatives of political detainees and PMOI supporters have reportedly been summoned and interrogated by intelligence authorities, while courts have continued issuing and upholding death sentences against political prisoners. Human rights advocates have also expressed concern over Iran’s continued use of the death penalty, noting that the number of executions in the country remains among the highest in the world.
The reported restrictions on communication, deteriorating prison conditions, new arrests, and continued pressure on detainees and their families have added to concerns about the treatment of political prisoners across Iran’s prison system.