According to reports received by the Karun Human Rights Organization, the electricity in Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz was cut off from 9 PM on Tuesday, September 8, until 6 PM on Wednesday, for a total of 21 hours.
This prolonged outage occurred while temperatures were above 50°C (122°F), and the severe overcrowding in the wards created an extremely critical situation for the prisoners. Many inmates suffering from respiratory illnesses experienced a deterioration in their health due to the shutdown of the infirmary’s equipment and the lack of medical facilities during the power outage.
Due to the poor quality of prison food, most prisoners are forced to purchase and cook their own food. The prolonged power outage caused much of these food supplies to spoil and be thrown away. In addition, the prison’s water purification system—funded by the prisoners themselves—stopped working, forcing them to consume unsafe, warm water.
Reports indicate that the prison’s ventilation system also stopped functioning, making the air inside unbearable due to sweat and sewage odors. The total darkness, overcrowding beyond capacity, and the shutdown of many telephones further worsened the situation.
Frequent power outages in Sheiban Prison have become a serious problem for prisoners. Every day, the prison experiences hours-long blackouts, but this is the first time the electricity has been out for more than 20 hours, putting inmates in extremely harsh and critical conditions.
