Two political prisoners given additional sentences after protesting inmate’s death

Hengaw – Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Shiva Esmaili and Elaheh Fouladi, two political prisoners held at Qarchak Prison in Varamin, have each been sentenced to an additional six months of discretionary imprisonment in a joint case opened after they protested the death of fellow inmate Somayeh Rashidi inside the prison.

Based on information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the new sentences were issued by the Iranian judiciary as part of increased judicial pressure on the two prisoners following their protest over the lack of medical care that led to Rashidi’s death. Somayeh Rashidi, a political prisoner held at Qarchak Prison, died in October last year after delays in being transferred to a hospital.

Shiva Esmaili, a 62-year-old from Tehran and a mother of three, had previously been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Two of her children, Seyed Mehdi Vafaei-Sani and Seyed Alireza Vafaei-Sani, are currently imprisoned in Evin Prison.

Elaheh Fouladi, a 47-year-old from Khalkhal, who is serving a five-year sentence on charges of “links to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK),” is currently being denied medical leave despite suffering from a heart condition.