{"id":1577,"date":"2020-04-16T08:02:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T07:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codir.net\/?p=1577"},"modified":"2020-04-16T08:11:15","modified_gmt":"2020-04-16T07:11:15","slug":"iranian-people-suffer-triple-whammy-of-covid-19-repression-and-us-sanctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/codir.net\/?p=1577","title":{"rendered":"Iranian people suffer triple whammy of COVID-19, repression and US sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

People in Iran suffer COVID-19 Pandemic at the same time as Islamist regime\u2019s repression and US economic sanctions!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People\u2019s Rights (CODIR) has accused the Iranian regime of gross irresponsibility and negligence in its approach to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.\u00a0\u00a0While there were widespread indications that the virus had reached Iran in January, the regime refused to acknowledge its presence or take any measures to prevent its spread.<\/p>\n

CODIR cites as evidence of the regime\u2019s negligence the fact that the regime wanted mass participation in the celebrations marking the 41st anniversary of the 1979 Revolution on 11th<\/sup>\u00a0February, as well as encouraging a high turnout for the parliamentary elections, that took place on the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0February.<\/p>\n

The regime\u2019s policy towards the COVID-19 pandemic has proven costly.\u00a0 It only announced the first two coronavirus deaths on the afternoon of polling day when the election was already well underway.\u00a0 By then the virus had taken hold throughout the country.<\/p>\n

As of 8 April, according to the regime\u2019s official figures, there have been 74,877 cases of the virus \u2013 resulting in 4,683 deaths \u2013 with nearly 4,000 people in a critical condition and requiring intensive care.\u00a0 However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed doubts about these figures, given the size of the population in Iran and the delay before any controls were introduced.<\/p>\n

The recent announcement by the regime that Iranians should return to work will only exacerbate this situation and is likely to result in a more rapid spread of the virus.\u00a0 In response to criticism of this policy, President Rouhani has indicated that he would rather see \u201c2 million die than 30 million hungry protesting on the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n

US sanctions<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the country\u2019s under-resourced and overstretched health sector struggles to deal with the pandemic, the sanctions imposed upon the regime by the United States have not only stayed in place but have been expanded.<\/p>\n

The US is refusing to spare Iranian people from the negative impact of the sanctions, which affect the availability and provision of food and medicine while destroying the economic fabric of the country.\u00a0 The United Nations and leading European powers \u2013 including Britain, France and Germany \u2013 have officially called on the US to remove the sanctions in order for a humanitarian relief effort to take place to help the beleaguered country\u2019s people.<\/p>\n

The US however continues to block a $5bn emergency loan application to the IMF by Iran to help tackle the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n

Political prisoners<\/strong><\/p>\n

Against this backdrop the fate of political prisoners is also cause for particular concern.\u00a0\u00a0Prisoners are kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and are subject to routine mistreatment.\u00a0 Since early-February there have been continual calls for the release of political prisoners or for them to at least be granted temporary leave.<\/p>\n

Just before the Iranian New Year on 20th March, the regime grudgingly assented to the release of thousands of prisoners.\u00a0 However, those political prisoners with a sentence of longer than 5 years were excluded from the release.\u00a0\u00a0Amongst those refused temporary release are Nasrin Sotoudeh, lawyer and human rights campaigner; Narges Mohammadi, women rights campaigner; and Mohammad Habibi, teacher trade unionist campaigner, currently serving a 10-year term on account of his union activities.<\/p>\n

An estimated 30,000 prisoners \u2013 out of 100,000 slated for possible release \u2013 were not set free.\u00a0 This number included a significant number of political prisoners as well as convicted criminals.\u00a0 The decision to deny the release of these prisoners, despite the desperate situation vis a vis the virus inside the prison system and the widespread calls for mercy to be shown, led to serious revolts in several jails.\u00a0 In Saqez, several prisoners managed to break out of the jail there, while there have been reports that a number of prisoners have also been killed during these disturbances.<\/p>\n

Workers at risk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the regime is refusing to support the call for the provision of a safe environment for emergency work to be carried out and is not providing guarantees for workplaces that decide to stop production owing to the pandemic.\u00a0 This means that workers are coerced into going to their workplaces, despite the dangers, rather than being left jobless, destitute and hungry.<\/p>\n

The combination of the sheer ineptitude and brutal disregard of the Iranian regime with the vengeful action of the US, in intensifying sanctions, is putting the lives of many ordinary Iranians at risk.\u00a0 Both must be opposed; both must be stopped.<\/p>\n

Jamshid Ahmadi, Assistant General Secretary, CODIR<\/p>\n

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