Armed intelligence agents in Tehran arrested Iranian writer Hamid Asefi on March 5 in a violent raid on his apartment. According to Asefi, who provided a written account, agents broke down his door with a sledgehammer and an axe before forcing him into his home at gunpoint. Upon requesting to see an arrest warrant, he said he was subjected to a severe beating, including strikes to his neck, spine, ribs, kidneys, temples, and head, causing him to lose consciousness. After regaining consciousness, the assault reportedly continued.

Asefi was blindfolded and taken to a detention center, where officials accused him of endorsing a statement opposing the government’s crackdown on January protests and alleged ties to the Israeli government—charges he denied. He was eventually released and informed his arrest was an administrative error. However, three weeks later, Asefi was hospitalized after an MRI revealed extensive brain hemorrhaging; he underwent surgery and remains in recovery.

His case is part of a broader pattern of allegations detailing harsh treatment and abuses within Iranian prisons. These reports have surfaced amid a recent loosening of internet restrictions following the regime’s wide-ranging security clampdown. The protests that began in January, compounded by ongoing political repression and regional conflicts, have led to the detention of protesters, journalists, and political dissidents.

Human rights organizations have documented systematic torture and ill-treatment since late February. Methods described include mock executions involving staged hangings and guns forced into detainees' mouths, beatings, suspension by limbs, prolonged solitary confinement, and denial of food and medical care.

A 23-year-old protester known as Mehnaz recounted being detained in late February, days before the first US and Israeli airstrikes, and held at Qarchak prison, a facility infamous for overcrowding and harsh conditions. Detained for social media posts deemed anti-regime, Mehnaz said she endured relentless interrogations and was deprived of food and water for over two weeks, resulting in a significant weight loss. She described unsanitary conditions, with more than 80 women confined to her ward and forced to sleep on the floor. She also reported having to rely on family members to provide adult diapers due to the state of the bathroom facilities.

Qarchak prison's reputation for poor detention conditions has been highlighted by human rights groups, which reported multiple deaths of female inmates there in recent months.

Disappearances have also been reported. Hesam Alaeddin, a 40-year-old father of two, was arrested in April in Tehran during a crackdown on Starlink internet devices and subsequently vanished into the prison system. His family remained unaware of his status for weeks. When his body was returned, relatives described extensive, severe injuries, stating that no bone was left intact.

Among the arrested journalists is Vida Rabbani, who was detained on January 31 for signing a statement condemning the crackdown and calling for an end to authoritarian rule. Held at Sari intelligence detention center, Rabbani’s lawyer reported that she endured severe beatings and sexual assault. Rabbani stated that interrogators subjected her to violent treatment, including attempts to force her to wear a hijab and hair-pulling by a male interrogator. Although released, she suffers from ongoing panic attacks and requires medication for insomnia and depression, underscoring the psychological impact of her detention.

These accounts collectively reveal a stark picture of repression, torture, and human rights violations within Iran’s detention system amid continued political unrest.