Political Prisoners Sew Lips and Eyelids Shut to Protest Horrific Conditions at Greater Tehran Prison

Several political prisoners in Greater Tehran’s Prison have launched a drastic protest against the prison’s horrific conditions by sewing their lips or eyelids shut.

According to shared reports, Koushan (Khaled) Pirzadeh has sewn his eyelid, while Farhad Hafezi and Vahid Sorkhgol have sewn their lips in solidarity. More prisoners are reportedly planning to join the protest.

A leaked voice message from inside the prison alleges that Yousefi, the head of Ward 2, has been behaving insultingly toward inmates, sparking anger among prisoners, especially those in that ward.

In the recording, Mr. Pirzadeh outlines the reasons behind the protest, including:

Lack of round-the-clock access to showers

Poor quality phone calls with family, connections are often down for half the day, with no accountability

Filthy, broken restrooms with damaged plumbing and sewage issues

Water shut-offs at random hours throughout the day

Mr. Pirzadeh stated, “We’ll continue this protest until our basic civil rights are recognized, and more prisoners will be sewing their lips and eyelids as this continues.”