Myanmar Female Prisoners Report Torture and Medical Neglect, Rights Group Says

Human Rights Watch says women political prisoners in Myanmar have reported alleged torture, sexual violence and inadequate medical care in detention.( Photo credit: AI-generated illustration created for IndrajitGlobalnews)

 Naypyidaw, September 23, 2026: Women held as political prisoners in Myanmar have reported torture, sexual violence and serious failures in access to medical treatment, according to a new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday.

The rights organisation said its findings were based on interviews conducted in 2025 and 2026 with 17 former female detainees, along with family members, lawyers and advocates. The former prisoners included activists, journalists, healthcare workers and aid workers.

Thousands of women among political detainees

According to the report, more than 30,000 political prisoners have been detained in Myanmar since the military seized power in February 2021. HRW estimates that around 6,600 of those detainees are women, while about 640 are children.

The organisation said women described harsh conditions during interrogation and imprisonment, including beatings and other forms of alleged physical abuse.

Some former detainees also reported electric shocks, cigarette burns, prolonged stress positions and extended periods of solitary confinement. HRW said several women described sexual humiliation or sexual violence while in detention.

Concerns over medical treatment

Medical care was another major issue highlighted in the report.

Former prisoners told HRW that access to treatment for serious and chronic medical conditions could be delayed or denied. The report also described cases involving pregnant detainees who allegedly struggled to obtain adequate prenatal and obstetric care.

One former prisoner interviewed by HRW described giving birth while detained and said she was later placed back in restraints.

HRW said access to medicines and treatment was reportedly inconsistent and, in some cases, depended on outside payments or other arrangements.

Accounts could not be independently verified

The allegations are based largely on testimony from former detainees and people connected to them. Reuters said it could not independently verify the accounts, although it noted that the allegations are consistent with findings contained in a previous United Nations report on torture in Myanmar detention facilities.

Myanmar’s military-backed government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the allegations, according to the report.

Detention deaths also reported

The report comes amid continuing concerns about deaths in Myanmar’s detention system.

Human Rights Watch cited figures from Myanmar Prison Witness documenting 290 deaths of political prisoners between February 1, 2021, and September 16, 2026, including 43 deaths involving women political prisoners and their children.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has separately reported more than 2,300 deaths in custody since the 2021 coup, according to HRW.

HRW calls for attention to detained women

Human Rights Watch called for the release of political prisoners and urged governments to raise the treatment of detained women with Myanmar’s authorities.

The organisation also called for greater support for local groups providing legal, medical and psychological assistance to current and former female political prisoners.

Myanmar has remained embroiled in armed conflict and political instability since the military takeover in 2021, with large numbers of people displaced by the continuing violence.