{"id":217452,"date":"2020-04-29T18:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T17:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=217452"},"modified":"2023-01-23T18:13:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T17:13:34","slug":"coronavirus-outbreak-in-iran-regimes-cover-up-and-inaction-will-result-in-humanitarian-catastrophe-in-prisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/human-rights\/coronavirus-outbreak-in-iran-regimes-cover-up-and-inaction-will-result-in-humanitarian-catastrophe-in-prisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus Outbreak in Iran: Regime\u2019s Cover-Up and Inaction Will Result in Humanitarian Catastrophe in Prisons"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Coronavirus
Iranian regime\u2019s cover-up and inaction will result in humanitarian catastrophe in prisons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reports obtained by the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK)<\/a> indicate that due to the coronavirus\u2019 spread in Iranian prisons, and the regime\u2019s inaction and cover-up, the situation in Iranian prisons has become critical.<\/p>\n

The situation of prisons as it relates to the spread of COVID<\/span>–<\/span>19 is very dire. Most prisoners in\u00a0<\/span>Evin<\/span>\u00a0Prison’s Ward\u00a0<\/span>4<\/span>\u00a0have been infected with Coronavirus and are suffering from dry cough, fever, shivering, and diarrhea.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak\u00a0<\/span>in Iran,<\/span>\u00a0the mullahs\u2019 regime in order to avoid\u00a0<\/span>a popular uprising,\u00a0<\/span>resorted to a criminal cover-up and\u00a0<\/span>inaction. The regime\u00a0<\/span>tried to downplay the crisis.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0People were not alerted, and the quarantin<\/span>ing period started very late, and it was not accompanied with government financial backing of\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>people.<\/span>\u00a0Therefore, the Iranian people were ravaged with poverty and hunger. Fearing\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>army of hungr<\/span>y people<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ris<\/span>ing up<\/span>, the regime forced back people back to work, accepting th<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>risk that\u00a0<\/span>there w<\/span>ould\u00a0<\/span>be more casualties and a possible social outrage.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The situation<\/span>\u00a0in Iranian prisons<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>more deplorable<\/span>. Instead of releasing prisoners or increas<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0the hygienic facilities, the regime further\u00a0<\/span>increased\u00a0<\/span>oppressive measures\u00a0<\/span>and denied inmates<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0access to medical care.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The regime\u2019s systematic cover-up and oppressive measures<\/span>\u00a0resulted in dozens of rebellions by the inmates<\/span>\u00a0who<\/span>\u00a0rightly demanding to be released. Yet, the regime responded with bullets. Dozens of inmates were killed. Mostafa\u00a0<\/span>Salimi<\/span>, along with two juvenile offenders<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Shayan<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Saeedpor<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Dan<\/span>i<\/span>al<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Zeinolabedini<\/span>, were\u00a0<\/span>killed, the first two by hanging and the latter under torture, for participating in\u00a0<\/span>prison riots.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The prison riots in various cities across the country<\/span>\u00a0undermined the regime\u2019s claims and indicated that the assertion was a deceptive act and the prisoners, especially political prisoners, are still in prisons in extremely dangerous conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the destabilization of the regime\u2019s control of prisons demonstrates the depth of its instability and desperation in controlling Iran\u2019s explosive society, which is in a bigger de facto prison, the regime\u2019s criminal\u00a0<\/span>decision<\/span>\u00a0of not releasing prisoners\u00a0<\/span>should not<\/span>\u00a0be ignored.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Iranian regime, through its lobbyists and apologists<\/span>, has been trying to use the coronavirus as a lever of pressure on the international community to lift sanctions on the regime. The regime tries to depict\u00a0<\/span>United States sanctions, which have indeed crippled\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>regime\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>warmongering machine and funding of terrorism, as the reason for\u00a0<\/span>the coronavirus<\/span>\u00a0high mortality rate in Iran.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The mullahs\u2019 handling of<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0situation in prisons and their approach toward inmates\u00a0<\/span>alone debunks this bogus claim. Therefore, it is the international community\u2019s duty to\u00a0<\/span>not succumb to the regime\u2019s chantage and intervene immediately to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Iran<\/span>ian prisons.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Maryam\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Rajavi<\/span>, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>, expressed dismay over the United Nations Security Council’s inaction about the egregious state of prisoners in Iran. She said:\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Political prisoners in\u00a0<\/span>Evin<\/span>\u00a0and other prisons have contracted Coronavirus, but the regime is\u00a0<\/span>neither releasing, nor quarantining, nor treating them”. This is death by attrition. Simultaneously, the regime has embarked on successive hangings even in the month of Ramadan to intimidate and terrorize the people, including today’s hangings in Urmia and <\/span>Sanandaj<\/span>\u00a0prisons<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Political prisoners in Evin and other #Iran<\/a> prisons have contracted the coronavirus. But the authorities neither free them, nor isolate or treat them. This is torturing prisoners to death. #COVID19<\/a><\/p>\n

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 28, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n