Human rights violatio,Two Brothers Face Ongoing Abuse in Iranian Prison After Arrest During Protests

 

Two brothers imprisoned since March 2023 for participating in protests are being subjected to continuous psychological abuse by prison authorities, sources told IranWire.

Mohammad Khodakarami, 33, and Mehdi Khodakarami, 43, have been held at Parsilon Prison in Khorramabad since their arrest for taking part in demonstrations in Tehran. They were previously detained at Evin Prison before being transferred to Khorramabad.

According to a source, prison officials frequently cancel the brothers’ family visits without explanation, cut off their phone calls, and keep them housed with common criminal inmates instead of political prisoners.

“Because one of the charges against the Khodakarami brothers is supporting the Mujahedin [MEK], little attention is paid to their situation,” the source said.

“But after all the suffering of these three years, they still arbitrarily cancel their visits at Parsilon Prison, disconnect their phone calls, and keep them among criminal prisoners rather than political ones.”

The brothers were initially convicted of “supporting the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization” and “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security,” receiving prison sentences of eight and four years, respectively.

On November 20 and December 9, 2024, the brothers appeared in two additional online trials. The November hearing was conducted via a prison guard’s telephone.

They were convicted of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic in favor of opposition groups” and each was sentenced to an additional year in prison, along with two years of exile and a ban on using mobile phones or any electronic devices.

In May 2024, Mohammad and Mehdi Khodakarami joined other inmates in protesting water cuts and other restrictions at Khorramabad Central Prison. They were severely beaten by the prison warden and head of security, then transferred to solitary confinement with injuries to their hands and feet, the source said.

The brothers were later moved from Khorramabad Central Prison to Parsilon Prison in June 2024 for supporting the “No to Execution Tuesdays” hunger strike campaign.