Vakilabad Prison

Iran Human Rights (IHR) documented on 28 May 2026 that at least 30 women detained during the 2025-26 protests were being held in the basement 'Peace Ward' of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, several facing moharebeh charges carrying the death penalty. IHR described the ward as a cramped, unventilated basement. The report drew attention to the conditions and the severity of charges being applied to detained women.

Vakilabad Prison is a large correctional facility on the western outskirts of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran and a Shia pilgrimage centre in Khorasan Razavi province. The prison holds a substantial population across different security classifications. Its 'Peace Ward' (bande solk) is a section designated in name for lower-risk detainees but which human rights monitors have documented as used for political detainees, often in poor physical conditions.

Mashhad has been a focal point of protest activity during the 2025-26 unrest, partly because of its economic strains and proximity to Afghanistan's border. The use of Vakilabad for politically sensitive detainees, including women facing capital charges, reflects a broader pattern of housing protest prisoners in provincial facilities away from Tehran, complicating family visits and legal access.