According to reports received by the Karun Human Rights Organization, on Sunday, December 14, 2025, nine individuals recently detained for their affiliation with the “Mahdaviyat” belief were transferred to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz. These individuals had previously been arrested by security forces.

The transfer took place despite severe overcrowding in Ward 5, triggering verbal confrontations between political prisoners and prison authorities. In protest against the decision—reportedly ordered by Khosrow Tarafi, the head of Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz—political prisoners refused to accept their meals.

According to the report, due to the lack of available space inside the ward, the nine detainees were held for several hours in the prison yard under cold weather conditions.

Sources affiliated with the Karun Human Rights Organization emphasized that other wards within Sheiban Prison reportedly have sufficient capacity to accommodate the detainees. However, prison authorities allegedly deliberately avoided transferring them to those wards, a move described as an attempt to impose additional pressure on political prisoners.

The sources further reported that in response to the protests, Khosrow Torfi, the prison’s head, made a demeaning statement, saying:

“Let them sleep on the ground in the yard; we have no empty beds for them.”