Two political prisoners have died from meningitis in Evin prison, Iran, after being arrested during the recent demonstrations. The announcement of their death coincided with allegations of abuse from several former inmates.
Mohsen Rouholamini and Amir Javadifar died of meningitis, which is believed to have been complicated by several injuries being left untreated. It is feared that there could be meningitis outbreaks in Evin as well as in other prisons, overcrowded with opposition demonstrators.
Former inmates have also alleged abusive treatment whilst they were detained. One prisoner claimed he had been "harrassed, insulted and abused". Isa Saharkhiz, a pro-reform journalist, has alleged that his ribs were broken and he was tortured during interrogation. Other detainees have claimed that they endured numerous beatings and were crammed into small cells, in temperatures topping 40C.
One prisoner said "I was beaten by batons and slapped thousands of times," and added that "they were forcing me to confess whatever they wanted,". Another said that ""I still have the screams and shouts of the prisoners in my ears, the prisoners whose legs and arms were broken,".
Rights campaigners are concerned that prisoners are being put under pressure to confess to involvement in a Western conspiracy to orchestrate the protests. It is believed that Kian Tajbakhsh, an American-Iranian scholar, is one of those being forced to make admissions.
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