Concerns about the spread of coronavirus in Iranian prisons; after Saqqez prison, this time "unrest" has been reported in Hamedan prison
Following unrest in Iranian prisons due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, some media outlets within Iran reported a "conflict" in Hamedan prison, but hours later the Hamedan prosecutor denied this.
IRNA news agency wrote on Sunday, April 1, that "following a clash between prisoners in this city, provincial officials are restoring peace to this prison."
The news agency did not mention the cause of the conflict, writing that "no information or speculation has been received regarding the escape of prisoners." However, hours later, Hamedan Prosecutor Hassan Khanjani denied the occurrence of what he called a "riot" and said that "prisoners burned several blankets under the pretext of the spread of the coronavirus, and there was no riot in Hamedan Prison."
Khanjani added that not a single person has escaped from prison and all prisoners are in custody.
Concerns about the sanitary conditions of the prison wards have been cited as the cause of the unrest. Previously, 74 prisoners in Saqqez had escaped from prison due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Kurdistan judicial authorities announced that so far, "10 fugitives have been arrested and two have surrendered."
Concerns about the spread of coronavirus in Iranian prisons come as human rights media reported that as of Wednesday, April 26, at least three prisoners in Urmia Central Prison and six others in Greater Tehran Prison had died after contracting the coronavirus.
The Hengaw Human Rights Network also announced in another report that on Wednesday, April 26, a prisoner from the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison, whose identity has not been announced yet, and two other prisoners, Hossein Javadi and Fariq Mohammadi, lost their lives in the past few days after contracting the virus.
It should be noted that VOA cannot independently confirm the information published regarding the number of deaths due to coronavirus in Iranian prisons.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference on Wednesday, April 26: "We have asked not only Syria, but also the Islamic Republic of Iran to release not only American citizens, but all those who have been unjustly imprisoned in these circumstances. This is a humanitarian act, and apart from the fact that these people have been illegally imprisoned, in these circumstances the principle of humanitarianism dictates that they be released from prison."
However, a large number of prisoners in various Iranian prisons, including political and ideological prisoners whose sentences exceed 5 years, are still being held in Iranian prisons.
Source: Voice of America
