The United States on Wednesday accused Iran of gross human rights violations following the deaths of three women in prison, the deteriorating condition of an imprisoned activist on hunger strike, and the looming execution of a Kurdish political prisoner.
The State Department’s Persian-language account on X said three women -- Somayeh Rashidi, Jamileh Azizi and Soudabeh Asadi -- died in recent days at Qarchak prison near Tehran after being denied medical care, adding their deaths followed that of Farzaneh Bijanpour in January.
It cited a statement by 45 women prisoners who condemned “inhumane treatment” of fellow inmates.
Washington also highlighted the case of Hossein Ronaghi, a well-known dissident jailed for criticizing the authorities, who is on hunger strike in protest at what it called “horrific prison conditions.”
The US said his health had sharply worsened due to denial of medication for chronic illness and demanded his immediate release.
Separately, it condemned what it described as the arbitrary detention and torture of Kurdish activist Pakshan Azizi, arrested with relatives in August 2023 and sentenced to death after what it called a sham trial.
“We call on the regime to halt her execution, free her and all political prisoners, and end its campaign of terror against its own people,” the statement said, adding more than 1,000 executions in Iran so far in 2025.
