Hunger strike of Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner in Qarchak Prison in Varamin

Human Rights in Iran – Saturday, June 20th 2020 / Zeynab Jalalian, a female political prisoner went on a hunger strike in protest of her continued detention in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, demanding that she be returned to Khoy Prison.

According to Human Rights in Iran on Saturday, June 20th 2020, Zeynab Jalalian, a female political prisoner imprisoned in Varamin’s Qarchak Prison, went on a hunger strike to demand return to Khoy Prison (in West of Azerbaijan). This political prisoner was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin (southeast of Tehran) without any prior notice in May of the current year, and during this time she has been held in the quarantine ward of this prison. This political prisoner is in critical condition due to her infection with coronavirus and a series of coughs. Zeynab Jalalian was sentenced to death in 2007 on the charge of “moharebeh” (waging war against God) after being upheld by the Supreme Court and after the pardon of the leader of the country, Ali Khamenei, the verdict was commuted to life imprisonment. She is serving her 13th year in prison. Zeynab Jalalian is one of the political prisoners deprived of the right to medical treatment and has been denied access to medical care and health facilities during this period.

In an interview with the reporter of Human Rights in Iran, a source close to Zeynab Jalalian said: “Zeynab Jalalian is in a dangerous situation due to her infection with coronavirus and a previous history of asthma, and since her transfer to Qarchak Prison in Varamin southeast of Tehran), her family has a long way to go for in-prison visiting, therefore they cannot travel to Tehran easily. On the other hand, more than 45 days after her being transferred from Khoy Prison (Wes Azerbaijan) to this prison (in Tehran), no clear answer has been made by the judicial authorities to the reason for this transfer to her family.”

In an explanation of Zeynab Jalalian’s infection with coronavirus, the informed source added: “Due to infection with coronavirus, Zeynab Jalalian is constantly coughing and her lung condition is not favourable. The only treatment she received was photograph of her chest, taken to diagnose her with the coronavirus and after being confirmed to have contracted coronavirus, she has been transferred to the quarantine ward and to date no special medical treatment has been provided for her illness and she is still in the quarantine ward.”

On May 2nd 2020, Zeynab Jalalian, the female political prisoner who had suddenly been transferred to an undisclosed location since April 27th 2020, was transferred to the quarantine ward of Qarchak Prison in Varamin.

Zeinab Jalalian was arrested in March 2008 by the Intelligence Office forces in Kermanshah, and after spending a 3-month of uncertainty in the detention of News Agency of Ministry of Intelligence in Kermanshah, she was convinced of membership in PJAC. After the interrogation and investigation process, she was transferred to Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Kermanshah.

On December 3rd 2008, Zeinab Jalalian was sentenced to death by branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Kermanshah, presided over judge Moradi, on the charges of membership in PJAC (The Kurdistan Free Life Party) and armed actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. After an objection, the verdict was referred to branch 4 of the Court of Appeals in Kermanshah, which it was upheld there. Also after referring the case to the country’s Supreme Court in the winter of 2010, it was confirmed. In the March of 2010, this political prisoner was unexpectedly moved from Kermanshah prison to ward 209 in Evin Prison and after spending 5 months in solitary confinement for interrogations, she was again moved back to Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah.

Prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic Prisons are struggling with a wide range of violations of human rights. On the one hand, their deprivation of the right to a fair trial, emphasized in article 10 UDHR, and on the other hand, various diseases and physical injuries and their lack of civil rights in the treatment of physical illnesses and injuries. People have been suffering from these diseases since they were imprisoned, but judicial and security officials in Islamic Republic Prisons use this as a lever to understand the views or accusations against individuals, which violates article 5. It is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Individuals have the right to access a fair trial by an impartial tribunal, as enshrined in international human rights instruments, as well as article 10 of the UDHR and article 14 of ICCPR.

Article 5 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that the accused shall be informed of the charges and provide access to a lawyer as soon as possible. Other defensive rights are mentioned in law, but extrajudicial actions taken by the security services violate the laws that they themselves drafted and claim to be enforced.