In recent days, the number prisoners died of the novel coronavirus have increased in Iranian prisons.
In the past week, two prisoners held at Qezel Hesar Prison were separately taken to Khomeini Hospital after showing coronavirus symptoms. The prisoners Ma’danchi and Nadali Aliabadi, both died at the hospital.
According to reports the hospital wrote heart attack as the cause of deaths in their death certificate.
There have been numerous reports that to keep the real coronavirus death toll down, the authorities have ordered hospitals to record other causes than COVID19 for their dead patients
Reports from Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj indicate that despite the coronavirus outbreak, there are no hygiene supplies such as soap and detergent for the prisoners. The prisoners are also lacking masks and gloves. The cells are not disinfected regularly. The prison’s water is cut off four hours per day. Baths are closed and there is no warm water.
Prisoners suspected of being COVID19 positive have been quarantined without any treatment or care in the prison’s prayer hall.
Elsewhere in Urmia Central Prison, four prisoners died of COVID19 in the past week, bringing the number of coronavirus victims to seven at this facility.
All of the four prisoners were taken to the Taleghani Hospital in Urmia, on Thursday, April 9. All of them lost their lives the same day to the coronavirus.
One of the prisoners was identified as Anvar Ghorbanzadeh, from the city of Urmia, northwest Iran. He was serving a death sentence on murder charges.
These prisoners were held at wards 3 and 4 where at least 500 other prisoners are being kept.
They had been taken to another ward along with 17 other prisoners suspected of being COVID19 positive.
Coronavirus outbreak in prisons coupled with the regime’s inhuman treatment of prisoners have exposed many prisoners to death. Prison wards, already severely contaminated, have turned into the epicenter for spreading the virus.
In most prisons, including Evin, Qezel Hesar, Gohardasht, Ardabil, Urmia, Quchan, Zahedan, Kermanshah, and Sanandaj the numbers of Corona cases are on the rise while there is no adequate medical treatment. All prisoners are at risk.
