Teacher Masoumeh Asgari remains in limbo in Evin Prison

Hengaw: Sunday, January 5, 
2025

Masoumeh (Askari) Asgari, a 55-year-old teacher and political detainee, remains in limbo in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, 162 days after her arrest.

According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Masoumeh Asgari was arrested in August 2024 by agents of the Intelligence Ministry. She has been charged with “propaganda against the state” and “collaboration with opposition groups.”

Her case has been referred to Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, but no trial date has been scheduled.

Initially, she was held in solitary confinement in Ward 209, a detention facility operated by the Intelligence Ministry, for two months. On September 25, 2024, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison, where she remains.

Reports indicate that Masoumeh suffers from multiple severe health conditions, including diabetes, kidney and liver problems, mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, and complications from a broken leg that required surgery.

Her family has provided medical records to the court and the prison clinic, emphasizing her unstable health and requesting her release on medical grounds. Despite the submission of this documentation, no action has been taken to address her deteriorating condition.

Masoumeh Asgari is a retired teacher and single mother of one, with a history of activism that has previously led to arrests and convictions.