Shabnam Madadzadeh

Shabnam Madadzadeh is an imprisoned student activist and former vice secretary of Tehran’s Tahkim Vahdat (student alumni organization) and the Islamic Student Association at the Tarbiat Moalem University.

She was arrested February 19, 2010 and jailed in Evin prison. In early August 2010, she was transferred to the horrific Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison to serve her exile sentence. Then, in an unprecedented move, the Iranian authorities transferred Shabnam and 200 other women political prisoners to Qarchak prison in Varamin. Currently, Shabnam Madadzadeh is held in the Evin prison women’s ward.

In February 2010, branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Shabnam to five years in prison exile. Her sentence was upheld by the Appeals Court in May 2010. Her brother Farzad Madadzadeh, who is also imprisoned, was issued the same sentence. He is currently held incommunicado in Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison.

The Iranian authorities’ lack of concern for the well-being of Shabnam and Farzad, two students who have not committed any visible crime, has resulted in the extreme torture and abuse of this brother and sister.

Shabnam’s father speaks out about the poor mental condition and the many hardships ther family have endured (Danshju news – May 10, 2011)
Shabnam’s father: “The condition of Shabnam and other prisoners transferred to Varamin with her is very poor. I talked to her today over the phone for one minute this morning. Her mental condition is not good. How could someone be in high spirits under such conditions…

That place is a torture center. Their conditions are very poor. They have no drinking water. The drinking water that they have is salty. They have no prison store. They are kept in a warehouse… Her sister was able to see her for eight minutes yesterday in prison and she also said that she was in a poor mental condition.”