Zaynab Jalalian is a Kurdish Iranian political activist who has been imprisoned since 2008 on charges of “enmity against God” due to her alleged involvement with the Kurdish opposition group PJAK. Arrested in 2007, she was initially sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in November 2009, but her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

In May 2023, human rights organizations reported a significant deterioration in her health. She suffers from several medical conditions, including an eye disease that risks causing blindness, yet she has been repeatedly denied adequate medical treatment. Her family and advocates have expressed grave concerns about her well-being, as Iranian authorities continue to refuse her access to necessary healthcare.

In early 2023, there were unconfirmed reports of Jalalian being transferred to a different prison without notifying her family, exacerbating concerns about her safety and treatment. Despite these inhumane conditions, Jalalian has remained resilient, advocating for Kurdish rights and refusing to sign confessions under duress.

Since August 2017, Jalalian has been denied medical treatment outside prison, and as a protest, she has refused to take the medication provided in prison. Additionally, since December 24, 2018, she has been denied family visits. Her case highlights broader issues of political repression, mistreatment of ethnic minorities, and denial of basic human rights within Iran. International human rights organizations have repeatedly called for her immediate and unconditional release, condemning the Iranian government’s ongoing violations of her rights.