The security agents in Evin Prison raided Ward 350, which houses more than 160 political prisoners.
According to the report by Kaleme News, each cell in Ward 350 measures approximately 98 square feet and houses 16 to 20 prisoners.
Fifteen intelligence agents raided each cell simultaneously at mid-month, searching through the personal effects of prisoners. Kaleme did not offer any explanation for the searches or say what all was taken.
The prisoners later described the raid when visiting with their families, and some of the families told Kaleme.
The prisoners reported that their clothing and bedding were thrown out of their cells and searched thoroughly so that three days afterward inmates were still cleaning up and trying to sort out the personal effects.
Books were taken off shelves or from underneath beds, were thrown in the middle of cells or into corridors and sometimes torn. These books had been sent to prisoners at their families’ expense. Some of the books were course materials used by imprisoned students.
Early in September, it was reported that prison officials had permitted political prisoners to have a DVD player in their ward. Non-political prisoners have had a DVD player for years and have been able to watch movies purchased from the prison store. During the most recent raid, however, the Intelligence Ministry agents seized the new DVD player from Ward 350, Kaleme said.
