Health and Hygiene

Despite a deadly coronavirus epidemic, Iranian security forces and Judiciary continue the persecution of political dissidents, activists and critics as well as the ill-treatment of prisoners with great zeal. A glance at social media platforms and even the highly censored Iranian media leaves no doubt that criticism of the establishment for its mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis, even from non-political …

Iran-HRM – Various national and local officials in Iran have spoken of sweeping arrests across the country of people charged with “spreading rumors” and “disrupting the public opinion” by disseminating the truth about the Coronavirus outbreak in the country. The head of the Justice Department of Qom on Monday gave news of the arrest of a nurse who had attempted …

Shabtabnews – On March 11th, IOPHR wrote and open letter to Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles, (Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy & Vice-President of the European Commission), regarding the Iranian Government’s struggles dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. In the letter IOPHR warns the EU that the Iranian ruling government does not seem to pay …

HRW – Iran’s prison authorities should facilitate temporary release of all eligible prisoners and the unconditional release of people detained for peaceful dissent, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Human Rights watch said today. The virus has spread across Iran, and poses a heightened risk in closed institutions. To reduce the risk of further transmission and mortality, authorities should also support “social distancing” …

CHRI – One week after judicial officials announced they had released tens of thousands of prisoners to prevent more coronavirus outbreaks, peaceful political prisoners in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison are in limbo and remain untested for COVID-19 even as they exhibit symptoms, according to their relatives. One political prisoner’s relative told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) that her father was …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), formed by its most powerful officials and chaired by President Hassan Rouhani, has rejected demands from health authorities on the ground to lock down the northern province of Gilan, where the coronavirus epidemic is on a deadly march from one overwhelmed hospital to another. Lawmakers and medical staff in other areas have made similar requests, including …

Radiofarda – Iran says it has reported 63 new deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 354. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on March 11 that 958 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 9,000. Iran is the hardest-hit country in …

Radiofarda -The Chairman of the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran (MCIRI) and tens of high-profile doctors have in separate letters on March 10 called on President Hassan Rouhani to reassign the management of the coronavirus crisis to a more authoritative council composed of the heads of the three government powers, or take the responsibility himself. The letter …

Radiofarda – The number of Iranian patients infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) soared during the past day and reached 8,042, and the official death toll climbed to 291 by mid-day Tuesday March 10. The coroner in Iran has registered 54 new deaths as a result of the coronavirus infection during the past day, and the health ministry spokesman Kianush …

CHRI -– Individuals detained in Iranian detention facilities are suffering from serious human rights violations and the situation of those arrested during the November 2019 protests is a subject of particular concern, said a UN expert in his latest report presented to the Human Rights Council. Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of …