SHEHLA MUHAMMADÎ

News Center- A conference was held in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 28 to draw attention to the situation of political prisoners all around the world. Shole Pakravan, a human rights activist and the mother of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a political prisoner executed in Iran in 2014, participated in the conference as a speaker.

The conference aimed to bring together the families of political prisoners and human rights defenders in order to be the voices of the prisoners, Shole Pakravan told NuJINHA in an interview.

“The conference had about 30 speakers. Many of them were former political prisoners and shared their experiences at the conference. The most stressed issue at the conference was the intensified repression on political prisoners and concerns over the possible repetition of executions of the 1980s. The conference gave an opportunity to activists to build a strong relationship and collaboration. Today, human rights groups and activists should unite against execution and torture practiced by the Iranian regime.”

‘The regime failed in crisis management’

Shole Pakravan mentioned the attacks on political prisoners held in Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah. On June 6, 2025, political prisoners held in the prison held a protest, demanding be transferred to safer areas due to Israel’s attacks.

“The prisoners demanded to be transferred to a safe place; however, the Iranian regime's special anti-riot units opened fire on them and killed some prisoners,” Shole Pakravan, who claimed that the Iranian authorities had been informed about Israel’s strike on Evin prison in Tehran. “However, the authorities left the area without releasing the prisoners and warning the soldiers. The strike injured several prisoners. The families of prisoners got no information about their relatives for days. The regime failed in crisis management because it had not made any preparations, even provided no shelter to people. Following the strike, the authorities transferred political prisoners from Evin to Fashafoyeh and Qarchak prisons in Tehran province without giving information to their families and lawyers.”

A black hole: Qarchak prison

Shole Pakravan described Qarchak prison in Varamin as a “black hole” full of human rights violations. “The prison has no clean water, windows or sufficient toilets. The conditions in the prison are inhuman. The outside of the prison has been renewed but the inside of the prison is like a black hole.”

Call for urgent action for prisoners

Shole Pakravan also talked about the limited medical care in Iran’s prisons. “For instance, Raheleh Rahemipour, 75, has suffered two strokes and many health problems; however, she has not received treatment. Many campaigns have been launched for sick prisoners. Not only political prisoners but also ordinary prisoners face severe physical and mental problems, but they are deprived of treatment.”

Shole Pakravan highlighted the importance of solidarity among human rights activists, “because not only political prisoners but also ordinary prisoners are deprived of their rights to health. I call on everyone to take urgent action and support campaigns against inhuman conditions in Iran’s prisons. We must struggle for the rights and dignity of prisoners.”