Prisoners held at the Greater Tehran Penitentiary lack access to hygiene and sanitary products despite the Covid-19 outbreak. The sanitary conditions in the wards and cells of the prison is described as deplorable.
Previously the prisoners were provided with a bleach-water solution to disinfect surfaces themselves. But there is currently no disinfectants despite some prisoners testing positive for coronavirus.
Prison authorities do not provide any detergent to prisoners.
The prison does not have a quarantine system as well as screening or testing in the prison wards and inmates who go to court are returned to their cells among other prisoners.
Covid-19 infection has already spread in the prison killing at least eight inmates.
Authorities in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary have maintained silence about the spread of the outbreak in this prison and do not report on the conditions of political and ordinary prisoners. Therefore, the lives of many prisoners in this compound is in serious danger of being infected.
Food poisoning, contaminated water and any other illness in this facility raises the risk of the inmates being infected with coronavirus.
On Friday, April 10, many of the inmates in this prison suffered poisoning after authorities provided rotten and expired food. This case of food poisoning is being reported at a time when the inmates are already deprived from medical attention and enduring very dire conditions.
The water wells of this prison are only 100 meters away from an industrial livestock complex and the town of Hassan Abad where many industrial sites are located. As a result, the drinking water of the Greater Tehran Prison is mixed with sewage water and extremely contaminated.
Under international law, prison authorities are obliged to ensure necessary hygiene to prevent disease transmission and essential medical care for all detainees. In cases in which prisoners are suspected of having contagious diseases, states are obligated to provide for their clinical isolation and appropriate treatment.
