Stop Fundamentalism – There are at least seven infants aging less than 2 years old, sharing their mothers’ prison sentence at the women’s ward of Semnan prison, reported the Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency today.
The prison’s women’s ward is a confinement of less than 50 square meters which currently hold about 70 women prisoners. The hygienic conditions at the section are quite poor and there aren’t even enough beds in the ward to suffice the number of prisoners, reports the news agency.
Currently a 6-months-old Barman Ehsani is spending time with her mother, Taraneh Torabi, who is sentenced to 20 months of prison for practicing her faith. Mrs. Torabi is of the Baha’i faith in Iran. Barman is suffering from lung infection due to unhealthy environment of the prison.
Another Iranian child prisoner in this prison is 12-months-old Rasam Tabianian, spending time with her young mother Zohreh Nik-Aein who is also from the Iranian Baha’i community. Rasam is experiencing severe ear infection and has high fever.
Mrs. Nik-Aein has received a 22 months of prison sentence for ‘campaign against the regime and running school teaching ethics to children of Baha’I faith.
Prison officials insist on keeping the women in prison despite life threatening health hazards against their children.
There are no exact figures as to how many children are currently in the Iranian prisons spending time with their mothers. Considering the high number of prisoners in Iran and specially women, this should be a large number.
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