Yalda Moaiery is an Iranian photojournalist.
For about three months last fall, I lived in Qarchak Prison, southeast of Tehran, with about a thousand other women who had been arrested during the Mahsa uprising — the protests that followed the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, the young woman who had been picked up for allegedly wearing an improper hijab.
Many of my fellow prisoners had been beaten during their arrests, many were subjected to mental and emotional abuse in security detention centers, and some were sexually assaulted.
In my particular cage, designed to hold 50 people, about 160 of us crowded close — breathing bad air, sleeping on the floor, getting by on too little food and trying to share toilets and bathrooms. Many women had to shave their hair to get rid of lice.
Court proceedings were slow and often unjust; some of my fellow prisoners were given 20-year sentences. Many suffered panic attacks or attempted suicide.
Eventually, the leader of the Islamic republic released all of us with amnesty. Yet many are still dealing with the psychological aftereffects and have not been able to return to their former lives.
As a small tribute to my former cellmates — my fighting sisters — and in the hope that their suffering will be remembered, I photographed released prisoners at the places where they were arrested.
Mahdis Nazari
Mahdis Nazari, 24, was arrested on Oct. 8, 2022, with her fiancé on Enghelab Street. Both went to jail. Nazari was released on bail after 44 days and is now working as a financial adviser in Tehran.
Amir Sam Golshani and Reihaneh Tavana
Amir Sam Golshani, left, 20, and Reihaneh Tavana, 26, met in Qarchak Prison after the Mahsa protests. Golshani was released on bail and now owns a clothing shop. Tavana was released with amnesty and works in a Tehran pharmacy.
Shabnam Masoodi
Shabnam Masoodi, 24, was arrested in Tehran on Oct. 30, 2022, and sentenced to 9½ years in prison because she could not afford bail. After four months in Qarchak, she was released with amnesty. She is now unemployed in Tehran.
Shaghayegh Khademi
Shaghayegh Khademi, 24, was arrested during the first days of the protests in her boyfriend’s house after being detected by city cameras. She was sentenced to 16 years in prison but released with amnesty after four months. She now works as a nail technician in a Tehran beauty salon.
Zeinab Mohammadi
Zeinab Mohammadi, 20, shown in her workshop in Tehran, was arrested on Oct. 5, 2022, on Tajrish Street during a public demonstration. After two months in Qarchak Prison, she was released on bail. She now works as a fashion designer in her mother’s workshop in Tehran.
Reihane Saeedi
Reihane Saeedi, 31, is a doctor. She was arrested in her home on Sept. 12, 2022, for her postings on social media. After spending 20 days in solitary confinement in Evin Prison, in Tehran, she was released on bail. Saeedi then moved to the north of Iran and has begun studies to specialize in pediatric medicine.
Negar Tavoosi
Negar Tavoosi, 20, was arrested on Nov. 12, 2022, at her workplace in Tehran, after being identified through city cameras. She spent 26 days in Evin Prison and 27 days in Qarchak. She was sentenced to seven years in prison and 74 lashes, but was released with amnesty. She now works as a barista in a Tehran cafe.
Parvaneh Ojaghi
Parvaneh Ojaghi, 50, was arrested during a demonstration in Pardis City, near Tehran. She and her 19-year-old daughter, Golzar, were severely beaten by the police and brought to Qarchak Prison. With no financial resources, they were forced to spend three months in prison and then were released on bail.. Parvaneh now works in a grocery store in Pardis.
Fazeleh and Masoumeh Khorasani
Sisters Fazeleh Khorasan, left, 25, and Masoumeh Khorasani, 22, were arrested on Enghelab Street on Oct. 22, 2022. They spent 40 days in Qarchak Prison and were released on bail. Masoumeh is a sculpture student in Tehran, and Fazeleh has graduated.
Marzieh Yousef Zadeh
One day before the nationwide protests began, Marzieh Yousef Zadeh, 27, who is known as Rozhin, walked the streets without a hijab and carrying a placard with Amini’s photo. She was the firstsecurity prisoner of the protests in Qarchak Prison and also, because of her financial problems, among the last to be released — after five months. She is now unemployed and living with public assistance in Tehran.
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