Political prisoner moved to filthy cell after contracting omicron Covid variant

Iran-HRM -Political prisoner Forough Taghipour has been taken to a filthy cell with no access to hygiene or medical care after she contracted the omicron Covid variant in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, in Tehran Province.

She suffers from lung disease and asthma and has symptoms of the virus since last week. Alarm is growing over the danger the poor condition poses to her.
An informed source said, “Instead of properly treating the political prisoner, prison officials transferred her to a dirty room and there is a threat of her contracting other diseases.”

“In this room, called quarantine, Forough, who was already in critical condition, is being held in a dirty place with no access to hygiene or medical care,” the source said.

Born in 1994, Forough Taghipour has graduated in accounting with a bachelor’s degree.

Forough Taghipour and her mother, Nassim Jabbari, were arrested on February 24, 2020.

Mrs. Jabbari, 58, was released on bail in mid-March and eventually exonerated of her charges.

Forough Taghipour, however, remained in detention and under interrogation in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. She was pressured to cooperated with the Ministry of Intelligence and appear on TV making false confessions against herself.

In mid-April 2021, she was banished to Qarchak Prison where she was detained with common criminals in violation of the principle of separation of crimes.
Conditions are prime for the disease to spread rapidly. Inmates are often packed by the dozens into dirty cells with no access to hygiene or medical care. Torture, poor nutrition and other abuses leave prisoners weaker and more vulnerable.

Omicron outbreak in Qarchak Prison

According to a report published on February 10, 2022, an Omicron outbreak in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, in Tehran Province.

Many women prisoners have contracted the virus. The Omicron outbreak in Qarchak Prison aggravates the low level of health in this prison. There is no medicine or medical facilities to care for sick prisoners.

Prison guards transferred women infected with Omicron to the quarantine ward, which is very small, dirty, and cold. The quarantine ward had a small number of beds, and most women must sleep on the cold ground despite their illness. Prisoners are packed in this small place, while one of the most important factors in transmitting omicron is compression and direct contact.

The amount of medicine supplied to prisoners is insufficient and does not help improve their conditions.