Evin. Fashafuyeh. Qarchak. These names are not merely prison facilities in Iran; they are symbols of brutality, fear, and state oppression. Controlled in whole or part by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), these prisons have become epicenters of human rights violations, where dissenters are silenced not with argument but with torture, rape, and psychological warfare. While the IRGC claims to protect Iran, what happens inside its detention centers tells a different story.
This report brings to light the testimonies of those who survived the IRGC’s carceral system. Each voice, each account, breaks the enforced silence. Together, they form a call for justice that the world must no longer ignore.
1. The Arrests: “I Was Taken for a Tweet”
Most victims are arrested without warrants. Their crime? A tweet, a protest, a hijab removal, or a journalism article.
Mona, 22, a university student, describes how plainclothes agents stormed her home at 3:00 AM after she posted a photo of herself without hijab.
“They came like we were terrorists. No explanation. My mother begged. They laughed.”
Reza, a labor activist, was arrested after organizing a peaceful protest for unpaid wages:
“They blindfolded me, beat me in the van. I didn’t see a lawyer for six months.”
2. Torture Methods: A System, Not an Exception
Torture inside IRGC-run or affiliated prisons is systematic and deliberate—designed to extract confessions, break spirits, and instill fear.
Common methods include:
• Beatings with cables or batons
• Electric shocks
• Mock executions
• Rape and sexual violence
• Solitary confinement in “coffin cells”
• Psychological torture (e.g., fake news of family deaths)
Nasrin, a protester from Mashhad, recalls:
“They told me they would bring my daughter to the same cell. They said: ‘She’s 14, she’ll break faster.’ I screamed so much I lost my voice.”
3. Rape as a Weapon
Rape, especially against women and LGBTQ+ prisoners, is widely reported in IRGC-controlled prisons. Survivors say it’s not rogue guards—it’s a weapon of policy.
Shirin, 30, was raped in Qarchak Prison after being arrested during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests:
“They said, ‘This is what happens when you act like a man.’ I tried to kill myself in that cell.”
In many cases, survivors say doctors or nurses were complicit—or that there were none.
4. Show Trials and False Confessions
Prisoners are forced to sign false confessions after weeks or months of torture. These are later aired on state TV to justify executions or long sentences.
Hamed, 19, was tortured for 45 days before being forced to confess on camera to “attempting to kill a Basiji officer”:
“They wrote the confession for me. I had to read it. If I refused, they’d beat my younger brother in front of me.”
5. The Role of the Basij and IRGC Intelligence
Many prisons are overseen directly by the IRGC Intelligence Organization, especially sections reserved for high-profile political detainees. The Basij, a paramilitary arm of the IRGC, often acts as prison enforcers and interrogators.
Former guards who have defected—such as those who fled to Europe—have testified that they were trained in psychological operations and given full immunity for their actions.
6. Gendered Oppression: Women in IRGC Custody
Women are targeted with gender-specific torture, including forced nudity, virginity tests, and sexual humiliation.
Zahra, 17, was arrested for dancing at a protest. Her testimony reads:
“They put a dog leash around my neck and made me bark. Then they recorded it. I think they send it to the families as punishment.”
7. Denial of Medical Care
Many detainees are denied urgent medical attention. Some bleed for days from torture wounds. Others die in custody from untreated injuries, heart attacks, or infections.
Dr.Amir, a former prison medic who later fled to Germany, says:
“We were ordered not to treat certain detainees unless they were dying. I saw a girl die from internal bleeding after being raped.”
8. Minors in Custody
Children as young as 12 have been detained, often for writing slogans or attending protests.
Yousef, aged 14, was arrested during the 2022 protests in Karaj. He was held in solitary for 11 days.
“They made me watch videos of executions and said I would be next.”
According to Iranian human rights monitors, dozens of minors have been tortured or killed in custody since 2022.
9. Families Silenced and Threatened
Families who speak out are harassed, arrested, or told to keep quiet “for the safety of the detainee.”
Fariba, mother of a journalist detained in Evin:
“They told me: ‘Cry and mourn silently. Otherwise, we’ll arrest your daughter again—and this time she won’t come back.’”
10. International Legal Responses—Still Too Weak
Despite clear violations of international law—including the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child—few IRGC officials have been held accountable.
• Universal jurisdiction cases in Germany, Sweden, and the UK are slowly gaining traction.
• The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has collected dozens of testimonies but lacks enforcement power.
• Survivors call for terrorist designation of the IRGC and sanctions on prison wardens and IRGC judges.
11. Hope and Resistance
Even in the darkest cells, resistance lives.
Leyla, who spent 9 months in Evin:
“I carved ‘Zan. Zendegi. Azadi’ into the wall with my fingernail. One day it will be our country’s anthem.”
Many survivors now lead advocacy efforts abroad, speaking to the UN, filing lawsuits, and organizing campaigns. They demand justice not just for themselves—but for those who never made it out.
Conclusion
These stories are not just personal—they are political. They reveal a systemic machinery of abuse sanctioned by the IRGC and Iran’s ruling elite. The survivors are not merely victims; they are witnesses. And in telling their truths, they lay the groundwork for future accountability.
If the international community fails to listen, the walls of Evin will continue to hide torture. If we amplify these voices, we begin to dismantle the IRGC’s power.
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