UN: Iran's failure to release political prisoners amid coronavirus outbreak is "regrettable and worrying"
As the coronavirus crisis intensifies, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran called the conditions of political prisoners "worrying" and called for the temporary release of prisoners.
Javed Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said on Tuesday, March 10, that he had called on Tehran to temporarily release all prisoners. He said the continued detention of political prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak was “regrettable and concerning.”
The head of the Islamic Republic's judiciary said on Monday that the body has temporarily released nearly 70,000 prisoners due to the coronavirus outbreak. But Javed Rahman said only those sentenced to less than five years in prison have been temporarily released, and those facing heavier sentences for participating in street protests or political prisoners remain in prison.
Rahman said at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday that a number of dual nationals, if they have not already fallen ill, are at real risk of contracting the coronavirus and their situation is truly worrying.
Reuters says it is unclear whether Javed Rahman meant the temporary release of all prisoners in Iran or whether his request was only for political prisoners.
Conditions of political and contractual prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison
Previously, a group of political and contractual prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison published an open letter to international organizations and legal institutions expressing concern about the spread of the virus in the prison.
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.
In their open letter, the prisoners stated that although some prisoners, some of whom have only a few months left on their sentences, have requested leave and temporary release from prison authorities, no response has been given to their requests.
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.
Source: Voice of America
