Sepideh Gholian Transferred to Evin Prison

Civil rights activist Sepideh Gholian has been transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section of the sprawling complex often used to house prisoners of conscience. The young reporter was arrested during a raid on her sister’s home in Ahvaz on Monday night and for three days, her family had no news of her whereabouts.

Shortly after 7pm Tehran time on Thursday, human rights lawyer Amir Raisian wrote on Twitter: "An hour ago, Sepideh Gholian contacted her family and said she had been taken from Ahvaz to Bushehr, and from Bushehr to Tehran and Evin Prison (Ward 209). It seems this transfer was for investigation and interrogation for a new case (the disclosure of conditions in Bushehr Prison)."

Last month while on medical leave, Sepideh published a series of revelations about the brutal treatment of female prisoners in Bushehr, which she described as a “forgotten hell”. Fresh charges of “spreading lies online” and “propaganda against the regime” were then filed against her by the province’s General Directorate of Prisons.

The 26-year-old was originally arrested in 2018 along with other activists for covering protests by Haft-Tappeh Sugar Factory workers in Khuzestan. She has now spent the best part of three years in detention, the first year of which was covered in her prison diaries, Tilapia Sucks the Blood of Hur al-Azim, published by IranWire last year.

Related coverage:

Sepideh Gholian 'Abducted' in Raid on Sister's Home

New Charges Filed Against Sepideh Gholian for Bushehr Prison Disclosures

Sepideh Gholian: The Forgotten Hell of the Women’s Ward at Bushehr Prison

Sepideh’s Diary: A Shocking Glimpse into Women’s Prisons in Iran

The Last Interview with Sepideh Gholian Before Her Arrest

Sepideh Gholian Moved to a Prison in South Iran

Sepideh Gholian to Stand Trial Again Over State TV Reporter's Complaint

Imprisoned Activist Speaks Out for All Women Prisoners

Ex-Women Prisoners Speak Out About Sexual Abuse in Jail