Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz: A Silent Torture Chamber Hidden from the World

Sheiban Prison, located in the State of Ahwaz along the highway connecting Toster and Ahwaz, was opened in 2015. However, it quickly became a symbol of oppression and suffering, housing thousands of detainees under inhumane conditions, with severe human rights violations occurring beyond any meaningful international oversight.

Prisoners inside Sheiban endure deteriorating conditions on all levels, from poor healthcare to daily torture and mistreatment.

The inmates face an extreme lack of medical care, as the prison lacks essential healthcare services. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and AIDS spread rapidly among detainees, with no proper treatment provided.

The quality of food in the prison is also extremely poor. While some prisoners rely on the meager rations provided by the administration, others are forced to work inside the prison to obtain better meals or purchase overpriced food from the prison store, despite its low-quality supplies.

Moreover, prisoners suffer from various forms of abuse and torture. They are held in overcrowded wards with poor ventilation and sanitation.

The prison consists of ten wards, some designed as large two-story enclosures. Each ward contains 15 rooms, with 35 to 40 inmates per room, meaning that each floor holds over 1,100 prisoners living in conditions unfit for human survival.

The violations inside Sheiban go beyond poor health and nutrition. Prison authorities impose severe psychological and physical repression on detainees.

Inmates are placed in solitary confinement as punishment for any action deemed defiant by the administration. Transfers between prisons occur under inhumane conditions, with prisoners handcuffed and packed into overcrowded, filthy transport trucks, further worsening their suffering.

The sanitary facilities inside Sheiban are also deplorable. There are not enough toilets, forcing prisoners to wait long hours to use them. Many restrooms are out of order due to poor maintenance, worsening the already dire living conditions.

Medical care is practically nonexistent, as the prison’s health center suffers from a total lack of medicine. Prisoners are forced to take whatever treatment is given to them under strict supervision, with no guarantee of receiving appropriate medical attention.

As for family visits, they are subject to strict regulations. Each ward is assigned specific visitation times, and personal visits are allowed only in exceptional cases. Most visits take place through a glass barrier, preventing inmates from having direct physical contact with their families.

The conditions inside Sheiban Prison reflect the scale of human rights abuses inflicted upon Ahwazi detainees, as the facility is used as a tool for suppression and oppression, far from the world’s scrutiny.

Despite attempts to conceal these crimes, survivor testimonies and human rights reports continue to expose the suffering endured by prisoners, while the international community remains largely inactive in holding those responsible accountable for these ongoing violations.