Iran
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows President Hassan Rouhani chairing a cabinet session in the capital Tehran on April 19, 2020.Photo: AFP/HO/Iranian Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Thousands of prisoners in Iran may be eligible for permanent release in a bid to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, judiciary officials have said.
Iran has released over 100,000 prisoners in recent weeks as a preventative measure to stop the spread of the virus which has caused havoc in the country, with over 80,000 infections and 5,118 deaths of Sunday midday.
“The head of the judiciary … has issued a directive to form special committees across the country to assess the conditions of the prisoners on furlough and even the prisoners who are still in prison… to make a decision about them,” judiciary spokesperson Gholam Hossein Emsaili told Iranian TV on Saturday night.
500 committees consisting of judicial, security and intelligence members will make decisions about all prisoners by taking into account the provisions of the Islamic Penal Code, he added.
“The results of the assessments will be conveyed to the prisoner or to their surety by April 29. I predict based on the consultations, expertise and legal provisions [that] a considerable number of prisoners on furlough will not return to prison and even some of the prisoners currently in prison will be released.”
President Hassan Rouhani announced on Sunday that the current furlough will be extended until May 20 as the country begins to resume economic activities, with some business in the capital and surrounding areas reopening to the public.
“In relation to prisoners that we had already decided to release until the end of Fravardin [April 19], today we decided that those prisoners whose release poses no risk will be out until the end of Ordibehesht [May 20],” he said after attending a meeting of the task force to fight coronavirus in Tehran.
While Iran has released a large number of prisoners, political prisoners and dual and foreign nationals have largely been kept in prison without being eligible for furlough.
A group of UN human rights experts issued a statement on Friday commending Iran for releasing a large number of prisoners but called on the authorities to release political prisoners and dual and foreign nationals.
"Some are at great risk from COVID-19 due to their age or underlying health conditions. We call on the authorities to immediately release them," the experts said.
"Iran's prisons have long-standing hygiene, overcrowding and healthcare problems. We urge the Iranian authorities to implement measures consistent with their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the right of persons deprived of their liberty to be treated with humanity and with respect for their inherent dignity, and the right to life."
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