Mafia Ruling Rajai Shahr Prison, and the Increasing Difficulties the Prisoners Face

HRANA News Agency – After reports of violent inspections and sever physical assaulting of the prisoners, Mohammad Mardani, the head of Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj, in a directive requested the heads of wards in this prison to impose restrictions on buying and repairing electronics, visits, foods and books. These restrictions are imposed while the stores in this prison do not sell the essential food items such as red-meat, chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, in other hand it is approximately a month that the prison’s bread maker machine is also broken. In respond to the prisoners’ complains, the prison authorities have ridiculed them by saying “This is prison and you are being punished, this is not a hotel”.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), based on the directive issued by the director of Rajai Shahr Prison Daryoush Amirian, and signed by the head of this Prison, Mohammad Mardani and given to the heads of the wards of this prison, there will be new restrictions imposed on the prisoners of this prison.
This directive that HRANA has been provided with a copy of it, is as follow: following the orders of the Prison directors the following must be applied to all prisoners and their requests regarding the mentioned matters will not be processed and granted:
First – Under no circumstances the permission to buy refrigerator, TV, air conditioner and other electronics from the Prison store or outside the prison, will be granted.
Second – The contract between the electrician and the Prison has come to an end, and he has been transferred outside the prison, therefore the electronics will not be repaired.
Third – Granting visits to second-degree relatives has been banned and will not be possible.
Forth – Obtaining any food from outside the prison is strictly prohibited, all food items should be purchased through the Prison store.
Fifth – Family members may not visit in one day simultaneously or together.
Sixth – As for now no new book will be permitted to enter the Prison, per each book that enters the prison at least one old book has to leave the prison to prevent the accumulation of books.
It’s worth mentioning that many observers believe applying such restrictions in a notorious place like Rajai Shahr Prison where various types of drugs and even cold weapons are traded easily among prisoners, will help creating a black market and empowers the Mafia gangs of the Prison.
This directive is issued while just last week HRANA reported, with the order of the head of the prison approximately 100 of the anti-riot guards of the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj Under the pretext of inspection harshly physically attacked and assaulted the prisoners and destroyed their belongings.
The inspections were carried out in several stages within 24 hours, so that one of the halls was raided in two stages, even at 2 am. Prisoners’ belongings including televisions and some of the walls in the prison cells were destroyed during the inspection.  Despite these acts of violence the guards did not find or size any specific illegal item.
On one hand, the restrictions imposed will make living more difficult for the prisoners because it is more than three months that the stores in the various wards do not sell the essential food items such as red-meat, chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, in other hand it is a month that the prison’s bread maker machine is also broken. In respond to the prisoners’ complains, the prison authorities have ridiculed them by saying “This is prison and you are being punished, this is not a hotel”.
A source close to the prisoners of Rajai Shahr Prison has told HRANA: “for the past 3 months the Prison store with the orders from the head of the prison has stopped selling red-meat, chicken and fish. In this few months when ever prisoners have asked the prison authorities why the prison store doesn’t carry essential food items, they have replied with a smile: “this is Rajai Shahr Prison not a hotel you have to be punished here”. Also to mention a new restaurant has opened in the prison where the prisoners who can afford their high prices can buy any food they like, while the vast majority of the prisoners have to just look and yearn while they eat or eat their left overs.”
The source continued: “The head of the Prison and the Mafia/gangs in the prison make lots of profit from this. By the way it has been years that in the prison food red-meat, chicken and fish has not been used and only soya that is the feed for animals has been given to prisoners, and in the past few months there is no fruits and vegetables for sale either. Even eating onion and potatoes has become a dream for the prisoners and many of the prisoners are suffering from malnutrition. No one in the prison takes the responsibility. Currently some buy potatoes and onions illegally from the prison kitchen for up to 600,000 Tomans.”
The source added at the end: “It’s more than a month that the bread making machine is broken and the bread in the prison is of a really low quality. While interestingly the prison officials and staff buy their own bread from outside of the prison and they have not paid any attention to complains of the prisoners.”

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