The Girl Who Wouldn’t Disappear: Arghavan Fallahi and the Machinery of Silence
Somewhere behind the cracked walls of Qarchak Prison, a young woman holds on—barely—to the threads of sunlight that slip in through a barred window. Her name is Arghavan Fallahi.
She is not a criminal. She is not violent. She is not forgotten. But the state would like her to be.
Arghavan was arrested on January 25, 2025, in Tehran—accused of “propaganda against the system” and “supporting an opposition group.” The real reason? Her belief in something better. Her refusal to be quiet.
She was blindfolded and taken to Ward 241 of Evin Prison. There, she was held in solitary confinement for months and subjected to psychological torture, harsh interrogations, and total isolation.
Then she vanished.
Authorities transferred her to Fashafuyeh Prison—known for filth, violence, and overcrowding—before moving her to an undisclosed location. During this time, Arghavan was cut off entirely from her family and her lawyer. Her father, Nasrollah Fallahi—a political prisoner himself—could not afford the 2 billion toman bail set by the court. It was a disappearance by design.
She has now surfaced again, this time in the women’s political prisoners’ ward of Qarchak Prison. But this transfer is no act of mercy. Qarchak is one of Iran’s most notorious prisons, plagued by overcrowding, underfeeding, and a lack of medical care. Political prisoners like Arghavan are often housed alongside violent offenders, increasing the risk to their safety and health.
Even now, she is denied regular contact with her family and access to legal representation. Her physical health is deteriorating, compounded by a chronic condition and untreated psychological trauma from months of torture and solitary confinement.
Still, she remains. Still, she resists.
Because the machinery that tries to break her—the interrogators, the isolation, the courtroom charades—has not succeeded. Not yet.
What You Can Do:
Donate any amount: Let the world know teaching is not a crime.
Expose the system: Share her story. Demand accountability for the torture and violations she’s endured.
Stand for political prisoners: Use #FreeArghavanFallahi to add your voice to the global demand for justice.
