Atefeh Tajik, a political prisoner with bone cancer, left without treatment in Varamin prison

Atefeh Tajik, a 48-year-old political prisoner with bone cancer, has been denied continued treatment in Varamin prison. According to an IranWire report published on Sunday, 11 October 2026, her treatment and chemotherapy were stopped after she was imprisoned, and her physical condition is reported to be critical.

According to the report, Atefeh Tajik is unable to eat, suffers from nausea and does not properly recognise those around her. The medication she needs is not provided in prison, and despite requests for urgent medical attention and for her transfer to a medical facility, no effective action has been taken so far.

The charge of "supporting Israel"

Atefeh Tajik, a native of Varamin and the mother of a 22-year-old son, was arrested and taken to Varamin prison. According to IranWire, a court sentenced her to five years and one month in prison on charges of "supporting Israel" and "propaganda against the system", and she is now serving that sentence.

In the months of the war, the charge of "supporting Israel" has become one of the most common labels the Islamic Republic's judiciary uses against critical citizens; a charge often built on social media comments or private conversations.

Political prisoners denied treatment

Depriving sick prisoners of treatment is a recurring pattern in the Islamic Republic's prisons. In its reports from Qarchak women's prison in Varamin, the human rights organisation HRANA has reported repeated deaths due to the lack of medical facilities and the constant blocking of prisoners' transfers to hospital. The human rights organisation Hengaw had also reported earlier that Qarchak prison officials refused to transfer Parvin Mosalmi, a political prisoner suffering from several types of cancer, to specialist hospitals.

Women political prisoners have faced growing pressure in recent months, including the arrest of two Baha'i women from Isfahan and their transfer to Dolatabad prison.

The cancer treatment of a 48-year-old political prisoner in Varamin prison has been halted, and requests for her transfer to hospital have gone unanswered.

Sources

• IranWire
• HRANA
• Hengaw