The latest monthly report by the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) confirms the misogynous mullahs’ regime’s ongoing violations of Iranian women’s rights. According to this report, the regime has increased its pressure on female political prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak.
While referring to the Iranian prisoners’ deplorable conditions amid the COVID-19 outbreak and the regime’s inaction in this regard, the NCRI Women’s Committee wrote: “The situation of prisoners is much worse than other people and they are more vulnerable to the disease. Female prisoners are under double pressure due to horrible conditions in prisons, shortage of hygienic products and denial of access to medicine, health care and medical treatment.”
“Resistant political prisoners, such as Maryam Akbari Monfared and Atena Daemi, who are already serving their sentences in jail, were summoned to court and arraigned with new charges in new cases fabricated against them and handed down unjust sentences such as flogging,” read the report.
“In addition to unjust sentences, women are practically put at risk of infection and death due to the coronavirus when they are imprisoned on security charges despite the pandemic,” the NCRI Women’s Committee asserted.
“Prison conditions are grim in Evin, Qarchak, Sepidar (in Ahvaz), and other cities. Not only political prisoners are not released or sent on furlough, but for those who were able to use the prison leave, they have been returned to prison after their leave expired and are held in the quarantine ward for months,” the report further added.
While referring to the regime’s mistreatment of female political prisoners, the report added: “The prisoners who have been sent to Qarchak Prison in Varamin, as punishment or to internal exile, are held in abysmal conditions. Abruptly transferred to Qarchak Prison on April 29, Zeinab Jalalian has been infected with the coronavirus and her life is in serious danger. Another political prisoner, Forough Taqipour who was transferred to Qarchak in February has also contracted the virus and is serving her sentence in dire conditions in this prison.”
According to the latest report published by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed the lives of nearly 67,000 people across Iran. The regime, since the beginning of the outbreak, resorted to cover-up and inaction. The authorities refused to release prisoners, particularly political prisoners, who were much more vulnerable to the virus due to the prison conditions. Instead, the regime increased its arbitrary arrests, and when prisoners protested, the regime’s security forces shot them. Some of the prisoners who were able to escape from prisons during prisons riots, such as Mostafa Salimi, were executed by the regime after they were caught to terrify the prisoners.
NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi has stated: “Given the accelerating spread of the coronavirus across Iran, prison conditions are alarming. I urge the UN Secretary General, Security Council, and other relevant international agencies to help stop a humanitarian catastrophe in the regime’s prisons.”
Given the accelerating spread of the coronavirus across #Iran, prison conditions are alarming. I urge the UN Secretary General, Security Council, &other relevant international agencies to help stop a humanitarian catastrophe in the regime’s prisons.https://t.co/22TzwMZQES
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) June 3, 2020