Soheil Arabi, a former political prisoner and Iranian human rights reporter, has published a detailed account of his arbitrary arrest, beatings, and torture in Ghezelhesar Prison following his release. He has also documented the inhumane conditions in the facility, providing alarming evidence of the torture and execution of prisoners.
A copy of Soheil Arabi’s report, obtained by the Defending Free Flow of Information Organization (DeFFI), offers a first-hand description of the inhumane conditions in “Suite 35, Unit 3” at Ghezelhesar Prison. Published after his release, the report paints a grim picture of widespread human rights violations against inmates held in this section.
Bans on family visits and access to lawyers, indiscriminate violence, physical and psychological torture, inhumane detention conditions, and extrajudicial executions are among the many violations documented in Suite 35, Unit 3 of Ghezelhesar Prison.
Arabi also described his own arbitrary arrest, writing that severe beatings and physical torture left him with injuries to his hands and feet, a damaged nose, a forehead fracture, and serious trauma to his testicles caused by repeated blows from security agents.
In one section of the report detailing the inhumane conditions at ghezelhesar Prison, Arabi wrote: “This place is not just a prison; it is a facility where people are broken before they are executed. The sound of water pipes striking prisoners’ bodies, the laughter of the guards, and phrases like ‘Boys, warm up we have an opponent coming,’ are part of daily life here.”
According to the human rights reporter, the detention conditions are extremely poor: tiny cells, severe overcrowding, lack of fresh air, inadequate and low-quality food, absence of hygiene facilities, 10 people held in a 12-square-meter cell, a single shared cup for everyone, tea served in crushed plastic bottles, and prolonged lack of contact with families, all forming only part of the hardships endured by prisoners in Suite 35 of Ghezelhesar Prison.
Soheil Arabi is a former political prisoner, photographer, and well-known human rights reporter. He was previously sentenced to death on charges of “insulting sacred beliefs,” a sentence later commuted to 90 months in prison plus supplementary punishments. Despite years of imprisonment, exile, and intense judicial and security pressure, Arabi remains one of the most active human rights defenders inside Iran. His social media channels are regularly updated with news of prisoners and cases of human rights violations against Iranian citizens.