This report is based on the poor conditions that have been reported by some women that have been released from the Ministry of Intelligence division (209) in Evin Prison.
The sanitary conditions are extremely dirty and infectious. Not only do they not clean, they also do not provide cleaning material despite repeated requests. This has caused spread of diseases and fungus infections. Sanitary conditions inside the cells are not suitable and no consideration is given in terms of taking care of prisoners.
There are 7 to 8 people in one 10 square meter cell. Because of the poor conditions no one uses the toilets in presence of others. They use the public toilets outside of the cells, but the doors are opened infrequently with delays. They do not provide adequate sanitary service as a form of punishment and this has caused kidney pain amongst prisoners.
Due to large crowds, prisoners are limited to taking a shower twice a week. There is a high loss of hair, dandruff, and lice that has been reported. The cells are highly concentrated and have no ventilation.
One ill prisoner can easily infect all the other prisoners. 8 people reside in a prison cell of 10 square meters. There is no room to walk, or stretch your legs. They either have to sit or sleep for a long period of time.
A prisoner has the right to get at least 1 hour of fresh air per day, however in the 209 prison, the prisoners get 10 minutes twice a week (20 minutes per week). Additionally we have been told that they get 10 minutes of sun per week. And if they are under questioning, they lose their chance to get fresh air.
In the Islamic Republic prisons, the medical teams issues medicine and pills without gloves. The medicine is put together in plastic trays in filthy and unsanitary conditions. They force you to take your medication under supervision and check you. It’s been reported that the medications have been misplaced is some instances and caused prisoners to get poisoned.
In the reports that have reached us we have been told the medications of prisoner have been swapped and the pill colors were different every time. Even when the prisoner insisted they open the pills in front of their eyes they continued as they wished, and the prisoners were not sure what pills were given to them!
And in terms of defending against the charges from the investigator, they are in uncertain condition. They are being questioned but not told the status of their file in court. This is while according to Islamic republic’s legal terms, after passing all the inspection conditions and after the last defense, the inspector’s job is done and they cannot interfere in the case anymore. At that point, the prisoner should either be freed on bail or be transferred from solitary to the public ward until their case goes to court and a decision is made by the judge.
The conditions in the Ministry of Intelligence prison 209 are torturous.