Evin prison: respiratory illness with COVID-like symptoms spreads in women's ward

A respiratory illness with symptoms resembling COVID has spread in the women's ward of Evin prison. According to reports published on Friday, 16 October 2026, almost all the women prisoners in the ward have contracted the illness. The type of illness and its cause have not yet been independently confirmed, and the prison authorities have given no explanation.

The women's ward of Evin now holds about 86 prisoners, 46 of whom are political prisoners. Signs of outbreaks of respiratory illnesses in the ward had been seen for several weeks: on 23 September it was reported that Mahfar, a two-year-old girl held in the women's ward with her mother Rezvaneh Ahmadkhanbeygi, had been ill for more than 10 days following the outbreak of these illnesses and was in poor condition. Her father, Behfar Lalehzari, is also imprisoned in Ward 7 of the same prison.

Pressure on Evin's women political prisoners

The spread of the illness comes as Evin's women political prisoners have been under greater pressure in recent weeks. In late September, 23 of the ward's 46 women political prisoners, including Golrokh Iraee, Sakineh Parvaneh, Ghazal Marzban and Pakhshan Azizi, were punitively denied visits with family and lawyers; the punishment was attributed to holding ceremonies on political occasions and to the prisoners' protest against body searches, the handcuffing and shackling of hospitalized prisoners, and the shortening of visiting times.

Political prisoners in Iran have repeatedly spoken of being denied treatment and medical care; in 2021 and 2022 as well, COVID had spread in Evin's women's ward, and prisoners warned of the lack of quarantine and the refusal of medical leave. Reports have also previously been published on the critical condition of sick prisoners and on political prisoners at risk.

Overcrowding and the lack of medical care have turned Evin's women's ward into a hotbed of disease.