According to information obtained by IranWire, at least 350 inmates held in the quarantine ward of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad have gone on a collective hunger strike. The protest was launched to condemn the systematic mistreatment of inmates by prison staff and the deplorable living conditions inside the ward.
Informed sources reported that on June 30, security guards and prison cell bosses severely beat a political prisoner under the pretext of “disrespecting officers.”
Inmates who witnessed the assault stated that the beating was so severe and relentless that the prisoner suffered an involuntary loss of bladder and bowel control.
In immediate retaliation against this brutal abuse, approximately 350 prisoners in the ward initiated a hunger strike on June 30 by refusing their lunch. IranWire has learned that the strike has entered its second day, with inmates rejecting both breakfast and lunch.
The quarantine ward of Vakilabad Prison is widely described by inmates as one of the most hostile environments within the facility, particularly for political prisoners. Inmates state that the current conditions amount to psychological torture and inhumane treatment due to:
