times more than the officially declared capacity of 85,000.14 Numerous reports received by the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have indicated
that detainees are regularly kept in poor conditions in Iranian prisons, notably due to
overcrowding and serious lack of basic hygiene, lack of adequate food and water and denial of
access to medical care. 15 16 17 The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Islamic Republic of Iran received numerous reports of abusive use of torture to extract
confessions, use of solitary confinement, and medical treatments conditional upon confession.18
Additionally, numerous reports have documented deaths and cases of ill-treatment of persons
detained during the November 2019 protests.19 20
A report published by the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center in partnership with the Human
Rights Activists News Agency found that conditions of detentions have further deteriorated since
the COVID-19 pandemic started. Prisons’ overcrowding facilitated the proliferation of COVID19 cases in several prisons.21 Such concerns have been echoed by the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran in his report published in July 202022
and January 2021.23 Documents recently leaked to Amnesty International indicate that Iran’s
Ministry of Health has repeatedly ignored urgent appeals from the Prisons Organisation to
remedy the widespread shortages of the protective equipment, disinfectant products, and medical
supplies needed to fight the pandemic.24
In addition to poor detention conditions, prisoners are at high risk of being held in prolonged
solitary confinement in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian Criminal Code of Procedure
(2015) makes no mention of solitary confinement as a method of punishment, however it is
prescribed under Article 175 of the Prison Regulations. 25 Under Iran’s Prison Regulations, any
14
Tasnmin News, https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1398/02/25/2011935/دارﯾﻢ-زﻧﺪاﻧﯽ-ظﺮﻓﯿﺖ-ﺑﺮاﺑﺮ-5-2-ھﺎ-زﻧﺪان-ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن-رﺋﯿﺲ
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
16
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020,
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2F75%2F213&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop
17
UN News, https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1074722
18
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
19
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2020,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
20
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/2891/2020/en/
21
HRANA, https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/COVID19_FEAR_IN_IRANS_PRISONS_.pdf
22
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020,
https://undocs.org/A/75/213
23
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2021,
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2FHRC%2F46%2F50&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop
24
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/iran-leaked-letters-reveal-state-denial-of-covid19crisis-in-prisons/
25
Article 524, Code of Criminal Procedure of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Iranian Prisons Regulations, as referred to in
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1327082016ENGLISH.PDF
15
3