IRAN: SUICIDE ON THE DEATH ROW

November 28, 2017:

According to a close source, a prisoner hanged himself to death in ward 1 of Rajai Shahr Prison. The prisoner, identified as Mohammad Lor, 31, had been in prison for five years on the charges as theft and quarrel.
“We don’t know why Mohammad was transferred to ward 1, where death row prisoners and those with serious offences are held. He always said that if he could raise 20 million Tomans (about 4850 dollars) he would be released in a month,” said one of his friends to Iran Human Rights (IHR).
The prisoner added, “I’ve thought about committing suicide several times. It’s because of poor prison condition and unfair sentences that courts issue. The demeaning behavior of prison guards also worsens the situation. A few months ago, a prisoner tried to kill himself by taking a pill after he was beaten and belittled by the prison guards. Fortunately, he was taken to the clinic immediately and was saved.”
There are no statistics indicating the exact suicide rate in Rajai Shahr Prison, but according to the prisoner IHR interviewed “there are suicide attempts almost everyday, but most of them are saved by their cellmates. Nevertheless, every year, 10 to 20 prisoners die in this prison by committing suicide.”