The prisoners held in Urmia Central Prison are facing “unbearable” physical and psychological pressures and it is getting worse every day, according to an informed source. Let’s look at just some of the ways that the inmates are being tortured and attacked by the guards.
Denial of Medication in Urmia Central Prison
For two weeks, inmates with serious conditions have been denied their vital medication and when they protest, they are just given hollow promises.
“Now these patients are having serious problems. The life of some of them is in danger,” the source said.
Jamming Devices in Urmia Central Prison
Political prisoners were moved to the ultra-security ward, where jamming devices were installed, which have caused the inmates to suffer from constant headaches and vomiting. When they protested, the prison’s general manager threatened them with harsher treatment, even though there could be serious long-term damage to their physical and mental health.
Food Conditions in Urmia Central Prison
The food quality in Iranian prisons is low and the quantity limited, but the food available for purchase at the prison shop is unaffordable, with frozen chicken going for 28,500 rials [$1.09] per kilo, compared with 185,000 rials [$0.70] outside.
“The quality of goods at the prison’s shop is very poor but the prices are very high and the prisoners cannot afford it. Most of these inmates are poor people providing for their families and now they are jailed. They have no income but the prison authorities even loot these poor people,” the source said.
On November 25, inmates protested the conditions by setting fire to the wards.
Meanwhile, political prisoners in Evin Prison warned of a potential death tsunami in prisons because of the resurge in coronavirus after the authorities took no action on the pandemic.
“Having a look at prisons’ conditions and how the inmates live in them, it is clear how lethal coronavirus would be in these places. A limited space embedding a great number of inmates, without any preventive sanitary gears or being able to keep social distancing,” they wrote.
“The inmates have no possibility to take care of themselves, they are under various physiological pressures including being worried about their beloveds outside the prison. Under these conditions, a more serious spread of the virus at prisons with bringing about a deadly tsunami,” their letter read.
Crime Against Humanity: Iranian Regime Kills Political Prisoners With the Coronavirus
Signatories included Sina Beheshti, Amir Salar Davoodi, Esmail Abdi, Amin Laqaii, Abdolrasool Mortazavi, Mohammad Ghafari, and Sina Monirzad.
They called for the unconditional release of prisoners to prevent “a catastrophe of coronavirus deaths” and vowed to continue protesting until their goal is met.
