Political prisoners concerned about the spread of coronavirus in Iran ask for help from international organizations
گروهی از زندانیان سیاسی و عقدیتی زندان رجاییشهر با انتشار نامه سرگشادهای به مجامع جهانی و نهادهای حقوقی نسبت به شیوع این ویروس در زندان ابراز نگرانی کردند.
The open letter, a copy of which was sent to Voice of America on Tuesday, March 4, by an informed source, states that at least 100 political prisoners of conscience in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, while expressing serious concern about the health conditions inside the prison, have written an open letter to international organizations and legal institutions, especially the World Health Organization, calling for the prevention of the possibility of a deadly catastrophe due to the spread of the coronavirus inside the prison.
These prisoners, who have declared the situation inside Rajai Shahr Prison to be critical with many prisoners showing flu symptoms, say that travel and movement continues as before, and guards who are in contact with the outside world and could be carriers of the virus are moving around the prison halls without using gloves and masks. However, the prison organization, management, and officials of this prison have not taken any measures to prevent the spread of this virus and the diseases caused by it inside the prisons.
Referring to the inappropriate treatment of people with flu-like symptoms by health officials, they say that these prisoners' requests for masks, gloves, disinfectant gels, and alcohol have been repeatedly rejected by prison officials, and so far, their requests for hygiene facilities such as soap and detergents, which are not available in sufficient quantities inside the prison, have not been heeded.
On Wednesday, March 27, Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary, issued a new circular ordering limited leave for a group of prisoners sentenced to imprisonment, subject to certain conditions; one of the provisions of the circular states that political prisoners who have been sentenced to more than 5 years on charges of "acting against national security" are exempt from being sent on leave; this is despite the fact that most political prisoners on the charges have sentences of more than 5 years.
با این وجود، این زندانیان در نامه سرگشاده خود اعلام کردهاند که، با آن که برخی از زندانیان که تعدادی از آنها تنها چند ماه از دوران محکومیتشان باقی مانده، از مقامات زندان درخواست مرخصی و آزادی موقت کردهاند، اما هیچگونه پاسخی به خواسته آنها داده نشده است.
Previously, the Voice of America had announced in a report citing social media and human rights news agencies that some prisoners, including imprisoned journalist Hengameh Shahidi, were urgently transferred to the Evin Prison health facility after their condition deteriorated and they showed symptoms of coronavirus. According to available information, Amir Hossein Moradi, one of the detainees from the November protests, was also transferred to an unknown location in Fashafoyeh Prison after contracting coronavirus, and a number of his fellow prisoners were also transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to Yaftabad Hospital.
The US State Department has repeatedly and on various occasions condemned the violent confrontations and widespread repression of protesters, the repeated and ongoing violations of the rights of Iranian citizens, and the ongoing cover-ups by the ruling regime in that country.
On Friday, March 29, in a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mike Pompeo said, considering the history of concealment by Islamic Republic officials, that the Iranian regime is reluctant to provide information about the spread of the coronavirus, and I am concerned that they may have hidden important information.
This is the second time that the US Secretary of State has expressed concern about possible cover-up by Iranian officials. Mike Pompeo warned on Tuesday that the US is concerned about the Islamic Republic's authorities' cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak.
The United States announced on Thursday that it has granted waivers from sanctions on Iran, allowing Iran's central bank to make financial transfers to send certain humanitarian services.
Source: Voice of America
