According to reports received by the Karoon Human Rights Organization, Jalil Bani-Khaled, an Arab political prisoner from Abadan who is being held in Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz, continues to be denied his right to temporary leave, conditional release, and the opportunity to serve the remainder of his sentence under an open-prison arrangement, despite having completed more than one-third of his sentence.
The political prisoner was arrested by security forces in 2023 and sentenced by the judicial authorities to four years in prison later that same year. He is now serving the third year of his sentence in Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz.
Jalil Bani-Khaled is married and has one child. Last winter, he was transferred from Abadan Prison to Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz. Despite having served more than one-third of his sentence, his repeated requests for conditional release and permission to serve the remainder of his sentence under an open-prison arrangement have so far been rejected by the relevant authorities.
An informed source close to the family of the Arab Ahwazi political prisoner said:
“Since the beginning of his sentence, Jalil Bani-Khaled has not been granted leave even once. His absence from the family, combined with financial difficulties, his mother’s illness and advanced age, and the responsibility of caring for his school-aged child, has placed a heavy burden on the family.”
Jalil Bani-Khaled, son of Abdol-Seyed and a resident of Abadan, was arrested by security forces in 2023 and transferred to the prison in the city. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison by the judicial authorities on charges including “propaganda against the state” and “confronting law enforcement and security officers.”
It is worth noting that Abdol-Seyed, Jalil Bani-Khaled’s father, is a disabled veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and lives with his family in Abadan.
The Karoon Human Rights Organization has expressed concern over the continued denial of Jalil Bani-Khaled’s legal rights and called for his rights as a prisoner to be respected, his requests for temporary leave and conditional release to be properly considered, and the authorities to uphold their obligations regarding prisoners’ rights.
