Somayeh Rashidi, a political prisoner, died in hospital due to the regime’s medical neglect

The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the death of Somayeh Rashidi, a political prisoner. According to the official account, on September 14 she was transferred from the prison infirmary to Moftah Hospital in Varamin after experiencing nausea and seizures, but fell into a coma and later passed away.

Independent sources and former cellmates, however, present a different narrative. They state that Rashidi suffered from epilepsy and repeatedly experienced severe seizures in prison. Despite multiple requests for medical treatment, prison officials dismissed her condition as “malingering” and refused to provide urgent care.

Reports indicate that by the time she was finally transferred to the hospital, Rashidi was already in a critical state. Doctors allegedly told her family that survival would require a miracle. Some accounts also claim that she was beaten either during her arrest or while being transferred to the hospital.

Judicial authorities allege that Rashidi had been arrested for her alleged ties to the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), and that her family declined to post bail for her release.

Her death has reignited concerns about the systematic denial of medical care for political prisoners in Iran, which human rights groups have described as a deliberate policy that endangers inmates’ lives.