Sara Deldar: A Life Cut Short by Pellets

Sara Deldar, a 32-year-old former political prisoner from northern Rasht, is another victim of the Islamic Republic's security forces' pellets.

She died on September 9 due to severe liver complications and infections caused by pellets lodged in her body during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

Deldar had been arrested in 2022 during the nationwide protests. One of her cellmates, a doctor, told IranWire, "We never had the chance to perform thorough tests and examinations on Sara, but her symptoms resembled those of chronic inflammatory liver disease. I believe she contracted a pelvic infection while in prison - a common affliction among inmates, many of whom report suffering from it even after their release."

The infection, combined with the pellets embedded in her head, right arm, waist, and hip, severely weakened her immunity and worsened her illness.

Sara was one of many women who protested during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. She had told her cellmates, "In November 2022, while I was helping injured protesters, I was shot with a shotgun."

On her Instagram account, Sara identified herself as a writer. She was arrested and sentenced to one year and three months in Lakan Prison of northern Rasht. She had been charged with "promoting corruption and prostitution" for posting photos without the mandatory hijab on social media and "insulting religious sanctities" for posting about the killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soliemani, resulting in an additional one year and nine months in prison.

Reflecting on her trial, Sara wrote, "I had two crimes: First, propaganda and insults against the Islamic Republic, and second, promoting corruption and prostitution through communication with hostile media."According to her account, the judge asked Sara: "You saved people and were shot in the process... Is the life and death of others your business to save them? I sentence you to prison so that you may learn to be a better person."

Despite suffering from a serious liver condition and being in urgent need of a transplant, Sara Deldar was arrested last year. She endured both psychological and physical abuse during interrogations.

Even in prison, Sara did not give up her activism. In prison, she earned the nickname "Mother Teresa" from her fellow inmates, as she took responsibility for their health and well-being. She would protest the government and teach other prisoners about their rights, feminism, and the importance of self-respect.

When Sara reflected on her release, she wrote that her parole was granted at the same time that 11 women’s rights activists in Gilan Province were sentenced to prison. "I told no one to welcome me. When the door opened, I just looked at the road and walked out. It was a strange feeling. So many nights I had longed to see the moon, the sky, and the sea again... But don't ask people like us how it was in there - about the torture, the pain."

Sara's health rapidly deteriorated in prison. Her parole was finally granted after six months behind bars, but it was too late for the necessary treatments.

In her last Instagram post, she shared the worsening of her condition, stating that she had not menstruated since her second month in prison and suffered from extreme physical weakness, severe anaemia, and kidney and ovary complications - all worsened by the pellets still lodged in her body.

Many prisoners released from Lakan Prison in Rasht face similar health issues.

'The Judiciary Lies'

Following the announcement of Sara Deldar's death, the Judiciary's media outlet, Mizan, released a report claiming: "Upon her entry into prison, Sara Deldar was subjected to a thorough physical examination according to the standard protocol of the Prisons Organization, and a medical record was created for her."

Mizan also claimed that, according to the minutes from a meeting at the General Directorate of Prisons of Gilan Province, Deldar had no physical injuries, wounds, or bullet marks when she arrived at Lakan Prison in Rasht. The information was reportedly documented in the official meeting minutes.

However, the minutes referenced by Mizan have not been released to the public. Sara's former cellmate told IranWire: "They are lying, just like they have about other issues. The pellet wounds on Sara's body were evident to everyone. Her symptoms of liver disease were visible even on her face. The prison doctor was informed about both issues, and they were noted in her medical file."

Mizan's report also claimed: "Deldar did not visit the hospital even once during her five-month imprisonment."

"I remember nights when she couldn’t sleep due to pain and would knock on the door asking for medicine or at least painkillers, but the jailers refused her requests. They told her she was too fond of medication and instructed her to let other prisoners sleep. On nights when her condition worsened, we banged on the door and shouted, but they still refused to provide medicine or medical treatment," her former cellmate said. 

After Sara Deldar's death, her family and acquaintances have faced pressure from security agencies to remain silent and have been prohibited from holding a memorial for her.

In recent years, many political prisoners have contracted serious illnesses while in custody.

At least 32 inmates died within the confines of the Islamic Republic's prisons last year, according to a human rights group. Nine of them were political prisoners. At least 11 of the reported deaths were caused by torture. 

Other fatalities were caused by delayed medical treatment or denial of healthcare, fighting between inmates, suicides and suspected poisonings. Sixty per cent of those who died inside prisons were Kurds.

The Islamic Republic's institutions and agents have consistently denied responsibility for the deaths of these prisoners, maintaining that all received timely and adequate medical and treatment services.