The number of people contracting the Coronavirus and those suspected of it is on the rise in all the main Iranian prisons. This while the minimum medical and health care resources and equipment in Iranian prisons to diagnose or prevent the spread of this virus are lacking.
A prisoner from Ward 3-4 of the Central Prison of Urmia died in Khomeini Hospital last week. He was Farid Mohammadi who had been hospitalized for 20 days
Mr. Mohammadi’s family claim that he contracted the virus while in hospital. Sixteen prisoners suspected of contracting the Coronavirus have been removed from the Central Prison of Urmia. The latest case was on Thursday night, February 27, when a prisoner who had tested positive was sent to hospital.
Three prisoners suspected of contracting the Coronavirus have been transferred from the juveniles ward and ward 14 of the Central Prison of Urmia to hospital.
Thirteen prisoners were transferred from the so-called workers ward of this prison to hospital on February 23. The Prison of Urmia lacks the minimum medical and health care resources and equipment. The only measure they have taken has been to give a face mask to each prisoner and clean the prison’s floor with disinfectants.
Prison authorities and the health official avoid entering the wards. They have told prisoners to get their health care supplies and necessary medicines through their families from outside the prison.
Four inmates suspected of contracting the Coronavirus are quarantined in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary. Due to overcrowded wards in this prison and lack of basic medical and health care resources like liquid and solid soaps, the rapid spread of the virus is highly likely in this prison.
Contrary to the Judiciary’s claims of not admitting new prisoners in recent days, there were reports that prisoners are still being admitted to prisons.
On Wednesday, February 26, Hassan Qobadi, deputy warden of Rajaishahr Prison went to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary to oversee the transfer a number of prisoners who did the cooking and other services in the GTP to the workers ward of Rajaishahr prison.
In addition, the dispensary of Rajaishahr Prison only takes the fever of prisoners who refer to the clinic with bad coughs and fever and gives them palliatives. They do not even give them face masks and gloves to prevent the spread of the disease.
There have also been reports from wards 4 and 7 of Evin Prison in Tehran indicating that the virus is spreading in this prison. Some prisoners have symptoms of fever and coughs.
The death toll for the COVID-19 is estimated to have exceeded 500 as of February 29. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime is making every effort to prevent the disclosure of the actual number of the victims. The number of those contracting the virus is estimated to be tens of thousands.
According to these reports, at least 150 victims have diedin Qom, 100 in Tehran, 100 in Mazandaran Province, 37 in Arak and Saveh, 37 in Isfahan, Homayounshahr and Najafabad, 24 in Kashan and 22 in Gilan. In addition, several more people have died in Mashhad, Kermanshah, Karaj, Semnan, Bandar Abbas, Yazd, Ilam, Yasuj, Khorramabad, Neyshabour, and Hamadan. The clerical regime, however, has put the death toll at 43 and the number of those contracting the virus at 593.
