On the Day of Incarcerated Mothers: COIPI’s New Report on the Mother-and-Child Ward of Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad
According to information received by Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI) from the Mother-and-Child Ward of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, infants and toddlers are reportedly being given medication to keep them quiet. These children are also being held in a ward infested with bedbugs, while all incarcerated mothers and many of their children have developed scabies.
More than two years after the publication of COIPI’s report, What Happens Behind the Closed Doors of the Mother-and-Child Ward in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad?, published by Radio Zamaneh on 16 March 2024, and the subsequent report published by Radio Zamaneh as Part Four of the series What Is Happening in the Women’s Ward of Vakilabad Prison?, COIPI has obtained updated information on the number and conditions of children living with their incarcerated mothers in Ward 4, the prison’s Mother-and-Child Ward.
According to the latest information, 14 mothers and 15 infants and young children are currently held in the ward. The youngest child is a one-month-old boy, while the oldest is a two-year-old girl. The average age of the children is 15 months. There are currently no pregnant women housed in this ward; pregnant prisoners are detained in other sections of the prison according to the charges against them.
Half of the mothers in the ward receive no family visits and have no money deposited into their prison accounts, leaving them unable to purchase sufficient food and other basic necessities. With the exception of two women, all mothers in the ward struggle with substance dependence. According to the information received, at least one infant was also affected by drug dependency, although no updated information is available regarding the child’s current health.
The mothers’ addiction has contributed to fragile emotional and behavioral conditions, making them less tolerant of the normal sounds and behavior of young children. According to an informed source, both incarcerated mothers and some prison staff “severely beat the children” because they cry, make noise, or leave the ward corridor and enter the prison’s general area. Prison officials reportedly administer medication to the children “so they sleep and do not cause trouble.”
The physical conditions of the ward are also extremely unsanitary. An informed individual who had access to the ward told COIPI:
“The smell of urine was so overwhelming that you could hardly enter the ward.”
The same source reported that the entire ward was recently infested with bedbugs, forcing prison authorities to remove all prisoners’ belongings. In addition, since December 2024, one mother and her child have suffered from severe itching without receiving adequate medical treatment. Another mother was reportedly infested with lice. According to COIPI’s latest information, all prisoners in the ward, including the children, have developed scabies.
The outdoor exercise yard used by Ward 4 is shared with the prison’s quarantine unit. The source described this space—smaller than 12 square meters—as “a dump” that is “full of bedbugs and lice.” Most newly admitted prisoners with substance dependence undergo withdrawal in the quarantine unit without medication or adequate medical care, contributing significantly to the unhygienic conditions of both the quarantine area and its exercise yard.
Children receive infant formula appropriate to their age, as well as daily milk and soup. However, meals for Ward 4 are distributed together with those for Ward 5, where three political prisoners are currently held, in what the source described as “an unfair manner.”
Despite these provisions, mothers identify the insufficient diaper allocation as their greatest concern. According to one source, “the monthly diaper ration does not even last one week.” COIPI has also learned that these mothers receive no meaningful support from charities.
As documented in previous reports from Vakilabad Prison, there are no toys or recreational facilities available for the children. According to the source, a room in Ward 6 had previously been equipped as a children’s playroom. However, following the increase in the number of political prisoners and the need to use that ward for their detention, the room was cleared and the children’s play equipment removed.
Children of Imprisoned Parents International expresses its deep concern over the physical and psychological well-being of children living in Iran’s prisons, including those held in the Mother-and-Child Ward of Vakilabad Prison. COIPI calls on the Iranian authorities to end the ongoing violations of children’s rights in prisons, decriminalize social issues, and ensure that policies concerning children comply with international human rights standards and global best practices.
This report is based on information received from the women’s ward of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and an interview with an informed source. It is published to mark 26 Tir (17 July), the Day of Incarcerated Mothers. This day was proposed by several civil society and human rights organizations, including the Defenders of Human Rights Center, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the Nobel Women’s Initiative, and Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI), in recognition of the unique challenges faced by incarcerated mothers and their children.
Feature Image: Designed by Maryam Beigi