13 April 2026
“They Are Keeping Us in Prison Without Food and Medicine to Let Us Die”
URGENT: Political Prisoners in Iran Facing Systematic Deprivation, Violence, and Life-Threatening Conditions
There is no ceasefire in the repression inside Iran. While public attention shifts elsewhere, repression continues to intensify by the regime across cities throughout Iran and inside its prison system. Reports from multiple credible sources indicate a sustained escalation of arbitrary arrests, executions, and inhumane detention conditions. The continued silence and inaction of the international community is enabling an expanding human rights catastrophe.
The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) has received credible and deeply alarming reports of a rapidly worsening situation across multiple detention facilities in Iran. These reports indicate a coordinated pattern of state repression, including mass arrests, increased executions, and the deliberate deprivation of food, medical care, and basic human dignity for prisoners.
According to verified accounts from inside detention facilities, prisoners are being subjected to conditions that amount to deliberate and sustained endangerment of life.
Deliberate Starvation and Medical Neglect in Detention Facilities
A verified testimony from the Greater Tehran Penitentiary (Fashafouyeh) in southern Tehra describes the situation as follows:
“Prisoners have been given only one-third of their previous food rations. Three guard officers who were previously present have left the prison, and only occasionally does a single guard visit the wards—but gives no response to prisoners’ requests for food and medicine. Instead of guards, heavy locks have been placed on the ward doors. Health and medical services have been effectively cut off. Even medications brought by families are not delivered to prisoners.”
This testimony reflects a broader pattern of conditions reported across multiple facilities, where prisoners are being systematically deprived of food, healthcare, and basic survival needs.
In multiple documented cases, life-threatening medical neglect has been confirmed. One prisoner suffering from diabetes has reportedly been denied essential medication for more than three weeks, placing him in critical condition. Other detainees with chronic illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiac conditions, are also being denied access to essential treatment.
Escalation of Violence and Reported Deaths in Custody
On 16 March 2026, prisoners at Chabahar Prison in Baluchistan reportedly staged a protest in response to the complete cessation of food supplies and worsening detention conditions. Prisoners demanded basic necessities, including adequate food and transfer to safer facilities. On 17 March 2026, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces and special security units allegedly entered the facility and opened fire on prisoners participating in the protest. According to multiple reports, dozens were injured, and several fatalities are believed to have occurred. However, the exact number of casualties and identities of victims remain unconfirmed, as authorities have not issued any official statement or provided transparency regarding the incident.
The absence of independent investigation and official reporting raises urgent concerns about accountability, potential cover-ups, and ongoing risks to surviving detainees.
Sharp Increase in Execution Sentences
Reports indicate a rapid and deeply alarming increase in the issuance and implementation of execution sentences across Iran. Hundreds of political prisoners are currently believed to be under sentence of death, placing them at immediate and ongoing risk.
Since the onset of the war in Iran, at least 14 political prisoners have been executed, marking a significant escalation in the use of capital punishment.
A list of documented cases is provided below: https://wp.me/p9yWrK-3jp
Wave of Arbitrary Arrests Across Iran
CFPPI further reports a sharp escalation in arrests across multiple cities.
Since the announcement of a ceasefire on 7 April 2026, IRGC security forces in Isfahan have reportedly intensified detentions. Authorities are said to have used surveillance
systems to identify and arrest individuals who gathered in public following reports concerning the death of Ali Khamenei. Many of these arrests were reportedly conducted without warrants, and detainees were taken to undisclosed locations. Families remain without information regarding their loved ones’ whereabouts, legal status, or health conditions, raising serious concerns about enforced disappearance.
URGENT WARNING AND CALL TO ACTION
The situation inside Iran’s prisons has reached a critical and potentially irreversible stage. Political prisoners and detainees are being held in conditions that violate international human rights standards and may constitute cruel, inhuman, and life-threatening treatment.
Despite repeated warnings, international response remains inadequate. Continued inaction risks further deaths, irreversible harm to detainees, and expanded repression across the country.
The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) urgently calls on:
- All governments worldwide, the European Union, and the United Nations to take immediate, public, and decisive action
- To exert urgent diplomatic pressure on the regime in Iran to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and detainees
- Immediately halt all arbitrary arrests of citizens
- Overturn all death sentences issued in political and protest-related cases
- Guarantee full access to food, clean water, and urgent medical care in all detention facilities
- Ensure prisoners have access to legal counsel and family communication
- Restore unrestricted internet and telephone access in Iran
This situation demands immediate international attention. Every delay increases the risk of further irreversible harm and loss of life.
Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
🌐 www.cfppi.org
For Media Inquiries:
Shiva Mahbobi, Spokeswoman ,📧 shiva.mahbobi@gmail.com 📞 +44 7572 356666
For additional context on the dire conditions facing political prisoners see the link below: https://wp.me/p9yWrK-e9G
We ask concerned individuals to please use the form on our website to send a letter to your government: