Prisoners’ insurgency in Iran

American Thinker:

In Iran, the number of prisoners infected with coronavirus is increasing. Given that prison is a closed space, lacking proper nutrition, lacking adequate health and medical facilities and with high population density, Coronavirus infection threatens the lives of many prisoners. Despite the issuance of 2 directives by the head of the judiciary granting leave to prisoners, political prisoners are denied these directives. According to the judiciary, the legal status of these detainees is defined as “detained,” including those arrested during the November protests.

While the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights also calls for the release of all prisoners, the release of political prisoners is blocked by the security and judicial systems. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, a prisoner was transferred from ward 14 of Urmia Prison to a hospital outside of prison after testing positive with Coronavirus.  Also, according to the Human Rights Organization in Defense of Political Prisoners, two women wardens in Evin Prison have been barred from coming to work for the past seven days for suspected exposure to the Coronavirus. In recent days, the test results of one of them were confirmed positive. read more