Reported by PMOI/MEK
Iran, March 8, 2019 – Authorities in Ahvaz Sheiban Prison, a concentration-camp-like facility, sent a number of political prisoners held at this prison to solitary confinement, after rounding them up and beating them for protesting against mixing common criminals with political prisoners in the same ward. Three prisoners were badly beaten and had to be transferred to a medical center.
Sheiban Prison authorities separated common criminals from political prisoners after they protested and started a hunger strike. But still, some violent criminals were left among the political prisoners in ward no. 4 and 5. This resulted in clashes between the prisoners on Sunday, leading to the recent protest by the political prisoners, according to Harana news agency.
A number of prison authorities including were present at the time of clashes between prisoners. They attacked and beat the political prisoners instead of the main culprits. The prison security went to ward no. 5 after a few hours taking 12 political prisoners to the main prison yard and beat and tortured them further and then forced them to the solitary. This resulted in severe injuries to three prisoners, a source said.
All outside phone calls and visits from families of prisoners in wards 4 and 5 have been suspended since Sunday.
It is worth noting that the illegal mixing of criminals and political prisoners in Sheiban prison has resulted in excess psychological pressure on political prisoners. These pressures resulted in clashes last month and consequent protest and a hunger strike by the political prisoners, the source added.
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On January 25, 2016, Majed Albughobaish, a prisoner held in Sheiban Prison of Ahvaz, was attacked and tortured by the prison warden. Being a Sunni and praying in the Sunni form was the reason he was attacked. This prisoner was injured severely during the beating.
Albughobaish's right hand had already been broken under torture while in detention in the Ahvaz Intelligence Detention Center.
Albughobaish was born in 1979 and prior to this he was arrested and sentenced to 8 years behind bars and paying 1 billion rials in fine (around $28,500) on charges of “getting involved in skirmishes with the security forces”, “clashing with Intelligence Department forces” and “propaganda against the Islamic republic” in the city of Khorramshahr, southwest Iran.
Prisoners in the same dossier with Albughabish are Omid Baghlani, born in 1980, and Mohammad Moghaddam, born in 1983.
These three prisoners had prior to this been held in Karun Prison of Ahvaz and recently around 220 political, civil and Arab Sunnis were relocated to Sheiban Prison.
