Security forces raided inmates in Sepidar Prison of Ahvaz at midnight in the wake of riots and escape of a number of prisoners on Monday, March 30, 2020.
Indiscriminate shooting by security forces killed a number of inmates.
Three security forces were allegedly killed in these clashes and a number of prisoners managed to flee from Sepidar Prison. Their exact numbers are not known, yet.
In the early hours of Tuesday, March 31, 2020, families of prisoner gathered outside the prison and demanded information about the conditions of their relatives, and their release.
گفته میشود شمارى از زندانيان توسط نيروهاى امنيتى كشته شده است
روز دوشنبه ۱۱فروردين بدليل نبود امكانات بهداشتى و شيوع #كرونا زندانيان زندان سپيدار اهواز شورش كرده و زندان را تحت كنترل خود درآوردند
اما شبانه نيروهاى امنيتى به زندان هجوم آورده و تعدادى از زندانيان را كشته‌اند pic.twitter.com/aG3G6Xckn7— مانيتورينگ حقوق بشر ایران (@Iran_HRM) March 31, 2020
The past week has seen riots in many Iranian prisons. Inmates in various prisons across Iran are afraid of contracting the coronavirus amid lack of adequate medical care in detention facilities.
There were reports of several deaths of prisoners infected with the coronavirus in various prisons.
Riots in Iranian prisons started in Khoramabad and Aligoudarz, followed by Tabriz and Saqqez. On Saturday night the wave of prison riots reached Hamedan and Mahabad prisons. On Sunday night it was the turn of Adelabad Prison of Shiraz. On Monday, there were reports of riots in Ahvaz prison.
The incidents are taking place against the backdrop of the worsening coronavirus outbreak, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 14,200 people. Iran’s prisons, in particular, are hit badly as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
Prisoners are demanding that the regime disinfect prison grounds, allow prison furloughs, give sanitary packages to prisoners including masks and hand gels and to quarantine prisoners suspected of being infected with the virus.
