In an interview with Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), a member of Zeynab Jalalian‘s family announced the possibility that this Kurdish political prisoner may be transferred to Kerman Prison.

Zeynab Jalalian went on a hunger strike on June 20, demanding her return to Khoy Prison or transfer to Evin Prison, as well as access to medical treatment after being diagnosed with COVID 19.”Yesterday, a person who introduced himself as one of the prisoners in Qarchak prison told her family that a group of security officers had transferred Zeynab from Qarchak prison a few days ago with the intention of transferring her to Kerman prison.

At the same time, Ali Jalalian, Zeynab’s father, has received a text message from the judiciary regarding the transfer of his daughter’s case to the Branch 1 of the Kerman Criminal Court.”, a family member of the political prisoner told KHRN about the latest situation of Zeynab.

According to this family member, based on the above-mentioned phone call and text message, Zeynab Jalalian may have possibly been transferred to Kerman Prison, although there is no legal and justifiable reason for this transfer.

This possibility is raised by the family since10 days after the transfer of this political prisoner to Qarchak prison, no official news has been announced about where Zeynab is being held by the judicial officials. Moreover, she has had no contact with her family during this period.

She was suddenly transferred from Khoy prison to Orumiyeh, then to Kermanshah and finally to Evin court. During this time, she was not given enough water and food. She was also handcuffed for two days.

KHRN also learned through the family of Zeynab that during the detention of the political prisoner in Qarchak, two people who introduced themselves as “Human Rights lawyers” met with Ms Jalalian and asked her to collaborate with security agencies to improve her situation. Zaynab Jalalian, however, told her family that she had refused to continue talking to them and mentioning her demands because she did not trust them.

A website affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence called “Kurdistan Human Rights Watch of Iran”, which has published a series of untrue information about Zeynab Jalalian to ruin her reputation in recent months, recently reported that their “lawyers” had met with Ms Jalalian in prison.

KHRN, which has been closely following the case of Zeynab Jalalian, is seriously concerned about the transfer of the political prisoner and the widespread efforts of security agencies to spread false news in cyberspace to ruin the reputation of Jalalian and pressure her to make a false confession in addition to bringing new charges against this Kurdish political prisoner after nearly 13 years of imprisonment.

Zeynab Jalalian, a political prisoner from Maku, has been in prison for the past 13 years and her death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment in 2011. She has suffered from a number of illnesses during her imprisonment. She contracted coronavirus after being transferred to Qarchak Prison. During this time, she was transferred to a hospital outside the prison only once for coronavirus test and lung scans. However, despite being diagnosed with Coronavirus and the advice of the specialist regarding her need to receive special care due to her lungs being in critical condition, she was returned back to prison. 

In 2016, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an official request to the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Zeynab Jalalian immediately and take all necessary measures to compensate her without delay in accordance with the international regulations. In a vote issued by the International Working Group, Zeynab Jalalian’s deprivation of liberty was described an arbitrary measure and contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Iran is obliged to prosecute those officials responsible for violating the rights of the Kurdish political activist.