100 Ashura prisoners crammed into solitary confinement cells

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100 of the prisoners arrested on Ashura were transferred to solitary confinement cells in Ward 5 of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj
Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran were notified that last night about a hundred detainees who were arrested on Ashura were transferred to Ward 5 of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. This transfer was carried out on Wednesday January 13th at around 9:00 p.m. Each cell contains four people, regardless of the fact that they are suitable for just one prisoner. At the moment, the cells are holding many more prisoners than their normal capacity. Reports indicate that the conditions of these cells are inhumane and the prisoners are treated violently. Those arrested on Ashura were transferred to the cells from an unknown location.
Since Wednesday January 13th, Ali Haj Kazem and Ali Mohammadi, the president and vice president of the prison, and Mr. Kermani and Mr. Faraji, president and vice president of Protection and Information of Gohardasht Prison, started transferring regular prisoners of solitary confinement in Ward 5 to Ward 1. At the moment Gohardasht Prison of Karaj contains an unprecedented number of prisoners. 400 to 500 prisoners are kept in rooms with a capacity of 90 people. The prisoners are forced to rest in corridors close to the toilets. Cells previously holding two prisoners are now occupied by eight.
Often prisoners have to take turns for resting. Even though the number of prisoners has increased incredibly, health care, food and medical treatments has not improved. The prisoners’ bread ration has decreased to two pieces a day. Both political and regular prisoners can use the health center once every 45 days. Their families can visit once every three months, but even this grant has been taken away from the political prisoners. It was Sadegh Larijani, head of the Judiciary appointed by Ali Khamenei, who ordered the mass arrests. These arrests were encouraged and supervised by Ali Khamenei.
Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran highly condemn the transfer of the prisoners arrested on Ashura to solitary confinement, and they ask the Secretary General and Supreme Commissioner of Human Rights and special reporters of arrests and tortures to take action against the medieval-like behaviour toward prisoners, and act immediately to liberate the prisoners
unconditionally.