Officials of Orumiyeh Central Prison have limited the yard time and the time for phone calls for prisoners of the women’s ward.
The prisoners have refused prison food for two days, protesting against the decision.
A source close to the family of one of the prisoners confirmed the news to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
It said: “In the past two weeks, with the order of Sohrabi, the head of the prison and Badaghi, the head of the women’s ward of Orumiyeh Central Prison, the yard time for prisoners has been reduced to a total of two hours a day and phone calls to once every four days.”
According to this source, there are four separate rooms with 36 beds in the women’s ward of the prison, and at least 40 prisoners are currently held in each room.
Due to the new restrictions, female prisoners are kept for about 22 hours a day in these small rooms with many inmates. The rooms do not have air ventilation.
On 16-17 October, the prisoners refused to take prison food to protest against the new restrictions. The head of the prison ward, Ms Badaghi, threatened the prisoners after that, the source added.
Before the new restrictions, all prisoners could enter the ward corridor, other rooms, and the yard throughout the day.
Currently, each room’s door is open only for two hours a day, and prisoners cannot move to other rooms.
Prisoners’ phone-call rights have also been reduced from once a day to every four days.
