Human Rights Watch’s Iran researcher Tara Sepehri Far on Friday urged Iran to end mistreatment of prisoners and allow investigations after alleged hacked videos of surveillance cameras inside Evin prison confirmed the country’s abusive treatment and violations.
“These leaked videos offer a glimpse of what happens behind bars in Iran, but they are likely the tip of the iceberg. They do not include footage from two prison wards controlled by Iran’s brutal intelligence agencies, where political prisoners often face serious abuse, including prolonged solitary confinement, use of blindfolds, and torture,” she wrote.
Sepehri Far also added that according to prisoners’ accounts, Evin prison, where most high-profile detainees are kept, has a higher standard of hygiene and access to medical care compared to other prisons, especially those far from the capital.
These videos show guards beating or otherwise abusing prisoners, as well as several incidents of inmate assaults against other inmates and prisoners self-harming without apparent intervention by prison officials.
“For nearly two decades, authorities have prohibited independent monitors to visit Iranian prisons. They have refused to meaningfully investigate allegations of violations and have prosecuted prisoners who reported being tortured,” she explained, urging Iranian authorities to allow investigation.
