Iran: CFWIJ Alarmed At Alieh Motalebzadeh, Narges Mohammadi’s Transfer To Prison Known For Inmate Abuse

Location: Iran, Teheran
Date: January 31, 2022

Photo Credit: AP

Arrested Iranian journalists Alieh Motalebzadeh and Narges Mohammadi were transferred to Qarchak women’s prison in Varamin earlier this month raising concerns for their safety. The Qarchak Prison is notorious for its inhumane treatment of prisoners, torture, abuse and violation of rights. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned for the safety and wellbeing of both journalists, who are serving prison sentences because of their work. 

Alieh, photojournalist and vice president of the Press Freedom Defence Association, and Narges Mohammadi, journalist and prominent human rights defender, were transferred to Qarchak Prison on January 9 and 19, 2022, respectively. 

The prison is located in a desert, east of Tehran. It is known as the most dangerous and worst prison in Iran due to its inhumane medical and psychological conditions.

According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor, common complaints about Qarchak Prison include urine-stained floors, lack of ventilation, insufficient and filthy bathroom facilities, prevalence of contagious diseases, poor quality food containing small pieces of stone and salty water. There is also no library in the prison and inmates do not have access to newspapers. 

Alieh’s transfer to Qarchak, as reported, came as a punishment for organizing an event in the women’s section of Ervin Prison to mark the death of Baktash Abtin - a journalist who died recently due to not being treated when he contracted Covid-19 in the same prison.

After being detained in October 2020, Alieh is serving a three-year jail term. She has been banned from receiving visitors and talking to her family for “publicly denouncing, along with other detainees, the coronavirus-related health situation in the prison”.

Ten days after Alieh’s transfer, Narges was also shifted to Qarchak Prison after being handed another sentence. Narges was arrested in November 2021 to serve a two-and-a-half-year sentence for “anti-government propaganda via the publication of false information” and “insulting government officials”. She was being held in isolation in Ervin Prison and was also denied visitors and communication with her family.

On January 15, 2022, she was sentenced to an additional eight years in jail - six years for “assembly and collusion to act against national security,” and two years and 74 lashes for “acting against national security and disrupting public order”. According to Human Rights Watch the trial lasted no longer than five minutes and Narges did not have access to a lawyer.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prison terms handed to the two journalists. Speaking truth to power is the work of a journalist and should not be treated as crime. We have closely followed the violations against Alieh Motalebzadeh and Narges Mohammadi and find their transfer to Qarchak Prison alarming and worrisome. Both the journalists had their rights denied to them in Ervin Prison and now, at a prison where inmate abuse is prevalent, we are concerned for their life. The CFWIJ condemns the attitude of the Iranian authorities towards critical media workers and women journalists, in particular. We haveextensively covered the actions of the Iranian regime when it concerns civil liberties like freedom of press and expression and the ever accelerating pace of the state's draconian actions is a cause of great concern.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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