"Negligence worsened her condition," accuses the NGO Hengaw after the death in custody of an Iranian prisoner who was rushed to hospital in a coma. Arrested for writing anti-government slogans, she was reportedly denied life-saving care.

Her name was Somayeh Rashidi. The 42-year-old woman died Thursday in hospital after six months in the notorious Qarchak women's prison (on the outskirts of Tehran). Iranian state television claims her death was linked to "medical problems prior" to her arrest.

For the Hengaw association, on the contrary, it was the lack of care that precipitated his death. "The neglect worsened his condition, leading to convulsions and a coma," the NGO denounced in a press release.

Refused care until “falling into a coma”

According to another NGO, Iran Human Rights (IHR), Rashidi had already been arrested in 2022 and 2023 for her opposition to the regime. Last April, she was arrested for writing slogans supporting anti-government protests in a Tehran neighborhood.

"Despite repeated requests from other inmates to have her transferred to hospital, prison authorities refused until she lost consciousness and fell into a coma," the NGO accused.

A "campaign of massacres"

Since the massive anti-government protests of 2022 and 2023, the Iranian regime has intensified its repression, particularly after the 12-day war against Israel last June.

On Tuesday, Iran Human Rights published a damning report, denouncing a "campaign of massacres": more than 1,000 executions have taken place in Iran since the beginning of the year.