Prisons in Iran have turned into waiting rooms for death with Amnesty International documenting “shocking violations” committed by Iranian officials as they have left ailing prisoners to die by denying them access to medications and adequate healthcare.
“The Iranian authorities’ chilling disregard for human life has effectively turned Iran’s prisons into a waiting room of death for ill prisoners, where treatable conditions tragically become fatal,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Rights violations and abuse are rife in Iran’s prisons.
Prisoners are often denied access to adequate healthcare throughout their imprisonment, including diagnostic tests, regular check-ups, and post-operative care, ultimately contributing to worsening their health problems, leading to or causing their death.
Amnesty has detailed the circumstances surrounding the death in custody of 92 men and four women, who either died inside their prison cells, during their delayed transfer or shortly after they were admitted to hospital since January of 2010.
“A prisoner’s death in custody also constitutes an extrajudicial execution, a crime under international law, if those responsible either intended to cause the death or knew with a sufficient degree of certainty that death would be the necessary consequence of their unlawful actions, yet persisted,” said Eltahawy.
Human rights monitors frequently raise concerns about poor conditions, abuse of prisoners, and use of torture in Iran’s penal system.
A critically ill dual Iranian-Australian national died in Evin prison in late March after he was prevented from accessing life-saving medication.
In the report, Amnesty renewed its call for the UN Human Rights Council to set up an “investigative and accountability mechanism” to collect, preserve and analyze the evidence of the crimes committed as officials continue to act with impunity, continuing their deadly denial of medical care to prisoners.
“The shadow of death will continue to cast over Iran’s ailing prisoners until effective, thorough, transparent, impartial, and independent investigations are conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding deaths in custody and the responsibility of those involved in the deaths,” Eltahawy noted.
Iran on Saturday submitted its midterm report to the United Nations on the country’s human rights situation, citing “huge progress” despite recent violations.
