Inside reports from family members of prisoners supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK), at a Karaj prison is being denied any sort of treatment for their Covid-19 infection and have been moved back out of isolation into other parts of the prison where uninfected prisoners are being held.
Of 45 Sunni prisoners who have been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus at Rajaei Shahr prison in Karaj, only one was removed for treatment. The rest were not given any sort of medical care, then moved back to prison wards where the potential for spreading the virus to other prisoners is of real concern.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert is being deprived of her most basic human rights in Iran’s notorious Qarchak Prison – where 30 prisoners have already contracted #COVID.
Iran should #FreeKylie and let her return home. #KylieIsUs pic.twitter.com/l31ZLjvgOe
— International Observatory of Human Rights (@observatoryihr) September 3, 2020
One of the Sunni prisoners with Covid-19 was taken to a city hospital after his condition deteriorated and protests about his lack of treatment were made by other prisoners.
Reports from MEK’s family members are already filtering through that the virus is being spread to other prisoners. Some of the political prisoners being held at the prison have underlying medical conditions that make them particularly susceptible to the disease. This means that if the catch the virus, their chances of serious illness or death are much higher.
Of the political prisoners at Rajaei Shahr who are most at risk are Arash Sadeghi, who has been diagnosed with bone cancer, Abolqassem Fouladvand, and Afshin Bayemani, who have heart problems. These prisoners have been denied any sort of extra medical treatment by the prison warden and the person responsible for supervising political prisoners. This is a deliberate strategy used as a form of torture on these prisoners.
#Iran's authorities tortured political prisoner Massoumeh Senobari to such an extent under interrogation that she could no longer walk. The whips to her legs & feet cracked her bone, which has yet to heal.#HumanRightshttps://t.co/crXaO2NxBR
— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) October 4, 2020
The Human Rights Monitor reported that Sadeghi was of particular risk because of an infection in his shoulder and a tumor that caused a lack of movement in his right arm. Sadeghi was taken out of the hospital last year despite the infection which remained untreated and has been denied visits to check on the status of the tumor.
Iranian prisons are some of the worst in the world, suffering from a lack of cleanliness, poor ventilation, overcrowding, terrible food, and the presence of vermin. The situation that prisoners face has gotten worse as the regime refuses to do anything about the prison conditions. Amnesty International has already issued a scathing report into conditions in Iran’s prisons and the refusal to improve them. It has made particular reference to the lack of response to Covid-19 infection, including a lack of medicine, PPE, and regular cleaning.
Amnesty’s report stated that “overcrowding, poor ventilation, lack of basic sanitation and medical equipment, and deliberate neglect of prisoners’ health problems, are making Iranian prisons a perfect breeding ground for COVID-19. The Iranian authorities must stop denying the health crisis in Iran’s prisons and take urgent steps to protect prisoners’ health and lives.”
#Iran Coronavirus Update
More than 116,000 people have died of the novel #coronavirus in 450 cities checkered across all of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.
Full Reporthttps://t.co/8VggYONVWL pic.twitter.com/y43Ahf4RqE
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 5, 2020
According to (PMOI / MEK Iran), the coronavirus has taken the lives of more than 116,000 people throughout Iran.
MEK Iran (follow them on Twitter and Facebook)
and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTube
