The Suffering of Ahwazi Prisoners Between Execution and Long Sentences

The suffering of hundreds of Ahwazi prisoners continues inside Iran’s prisons, under harsh and inhumane sentences ranging from execution to life imprisonment and exile to remote areas, in addition to being deprived of basic rights, foremost among them proper healthcare, sufficient food, and humane living conditions.

Ahwazi detainees, particularly those in Sheyban Prison in the capital city of Ahwaz, face tragic conditions inside overcrowded wards that lack the minimum necessities of life.

Prisoners suffer from a deteriorating healthcare system, lack of ventilation, malnutrition, and the spread of infectious diseases.

Wards 5 and 8 of the prison are especially dire, pushing many inmates to repeatedly go on hunger strikes in protest against arbitrary detention and unjust rulings.

As for Howeyreh Prison, designated for women, it is considered one of the harshest against Ahwazi female prisoners detained on political or religious charges.

Human rights reports have documented the spread of sewage and infectious diseases, alongside the absence of basic care. Many women have also been subjected to torture, physical and psychological abuse, and continuous threats.

Prisoners are often charged with vague accusations such as “acting against national security,” “enmity against God,” “disturbing public order,” and “propaganda against the system,” extending even to cultural or intellectual activities, or simply engaging on social media.

Human rights sources confirm that these sentences are often based on confessions extracted under torture and carried out without fair trials.

Another major violation is the policy of forced exile practiced by the Iranian authorities, where prisoners are transferred to faraway prisons such as Torbat Jam, Yazd, Ardabil, Sari, Babol, and Mashhad.

This makes family visits nearly impossible, adding psychological and financial burdens on their relatives.

Some of the prisoners with heavy sentences include:

Ahmad Kaab (poet) – 30 years – Ardabil Prison.

Jaber Al-Bushouka – Life sentence – Sheyban Prison.

Habib Drees – Execution – Sheyban Prison.

Seyed Malek Mousavi – Execution (enmity against God) – Sheyban Prison.

Salman Chayan – 25 years – Yazd Prison.

Amir Moawi – 38 years – Sari Prison.

Mohammad Halfy – 35 years – Yazd Prison.

Mohammad Amin Obeidawi – Execution – Sheyban Prison.

Mohammad Ali Amouri – Life sentence – Sheyban Prison.

Mehdi Siyahi – 35 years – Yazd Prison.

Masoud Jamei – Double execution sentence – Sheyban Prison.

Nazem Bureihi – Life sentence – Sheyban Prison.

The list includes dozens of other names facing either death sentences or long prison terms of up to 35 years, while continuing to be denied proper medical care despite many suffering from chronic and serious illnesses.

Rising Executions in 2025
According to human rights reports, July 2025 alone witnessed the execution of at least 110 people in Iran, many of them Ahwazi prisoners.

This has raised increasing concern among international human rights organizations, which view these policies as a form of systematic persecution of Ahwazis because of their national identity and peaceful activities.

Human and Social Repercussions
These violations do not only affect the prisoners behind bars but also extend to their families, who suffer daily hardships psychologically and financially due to the loss of breadwinners and the absence of justice.

Human rights organizations stress that these policies place enormous pressure on the entire Ahwazi community and aim to erase its cultural and national identity.

While the Iranian authorities continue to ignore international calls to release political prisoners and guarantee their rights, Ahwazi detainees remain hostages to unjust rulings and a tragic reality that contradicts the most basic principles of human rights.