A group of political prisoners in Evin Prison called for a visit to Iranian prisons by international human rights organizations.
In their statement, a copy of which was received by Iran Human Rights Monitoring, the inmates called on the UN’s human rights representatives and all human rights institutions to visit the notorious prison and all its wards to examine the situation of political prisoners.
The prisoners mentioned the lack of medicine and medical equipment, as well as the lack of distribution of masks and disinfectants and that the prisoners have to pay heavy health costs themselves.
The prisoners stressed that the judiciary, instead of releasing detainees during the pandemic, sought to extend the sentences of political prisoners and prevent their release.
Prisoners also pointed to the constant movement of prisoners and said that this had spread the virus in other prisons.
“At a time when the world is suffering from the coronavirus and all governments are trying to control and improve the situation, we see that the clerical regime’s incompetence and mismanagement has contributed to increasing the nomber of covid19 cases.
“The inhumane mullahs’ regime has neither the cabability nor the desire to improve the situation. The death toll of the coronavirus and the number of patients show how dire the situation is. Of course, the regime is trying to hide the real number of deaths and wants to keep the depth of the tragedy hidden from everyone.
“The crisis also exists in the regime’s prisons. While many countries have released prisoners to prevent the spread of the disease in their prisons, we see that the regime is not only not interested in releasing prisoners, but also continues to prolong the political prisoners’ sentences under various pretexts. Meanwhile, by opposing temporary leave, the regime is blocking the release of prisoners, especially political prisoners.
“While the gudelines for covid19 pmphasize social distancing, the number of inmates in Iranian prisons during the pandemic is much higher than the actual capacity, and the overcrowding in the wards prevents the implementation of social distancing.
“We, a group of political prisoners in Evin Prison, call on the UN’s human rights representatives and all human rights institutions to visit the notorious prison and all its wards to examine the situation of political prisoners.
A group of political prisoners in Evin prison
October 19, 2020
Earlier reports from Evin prison pertain that the regime is not taking any measures to prevent the spread of the disease and as a result, many inmates have contracted the virus.
Documented overcrowding and unhygienic living conditions as well as denial of access to adequate medical treatment in Iranian prisons, including in Tehran’s Evin Prison, Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj, and the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, have exacerbated fears of covid19 prison outbreaks as well as worries that ailing prisoners will struggle to access treatment.
Despite many pleas from Iranian and international human rights organizations the Judiciary has refused to allow political prisoners and prisoners of conscience to go on furlough despite the catastrophic situation in prisons where sanitary conditions are dangerous.
Amnesty International in late July released the text of four letters from the Judiciary’s Prisons Organization written to the health ministry requesting coronavirus aid to prisons, which the government left unanswered.
The letters were sent to the ministry between late February and early July in connection with the spread of covid19 in Iran’s prisons and raise the alarm over serious shortages of protective equipment, disinfectant essential medical devices, and seek urgent funding and assistance.
Iran Human Rights Monitor has warned about the conditions of political prisoners in various prisons across Iran, many of whom have contracted Covid19 as a result of the regime’s intentional negligence.
