The wave of arrests for rumormongering about the death toll
Khamenei orders military to hold biological warfare exercise a day after blaming the U.S. of Coronavirus production
The Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK) announced this afternoon, March 23, 2020, that the Coronavirus death toll has passed the shocking number of 10,500 in 212 cities across Iran. The number of victims in the city of Isfahan exceeds 600; in Kashan 500, in Isfahan province, it has surpassed 1,262. In Khorasan Razavi 872, in Zanjan 83, in Ardebil 160, in Golestan 536, in Khuzestan 369, in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 41, and Semnan 40 people have lost their lives so far.
Many patients who were discharged from hospitals died within a week, but they were not classified as Coronavirus victims, doctors from Gilan report.
According to the official state news agency, Qom’s University of Medical Sciences announced: “40 doctors and 130 nurses were infected with this virus while treating patients.” At the same time, Dr. Alireza Zali, in charge of Tehran’s Coronavirus Combat Headquarters announced that the number of patients (referring to) medical centers has increased by 5%, and those in critical condition and in need of hospitalization by 12%. Ambulance sirens are regularly heard in various areas of Tehran and other cities.
At the same time, the mullahs’ regime adamantly prevents the release of the actual death toll. A wave of arrests has continued in various cities on charges of spreading rumors about the casualties.
At a meeting at the Coronavirus Combat Headquarters in West Azerbaijan, Nasser Khodayari, a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, said on March 22, 2020, that nine people were arrested on charges of spreading rumors. “Meetings with FATA (State Cyber Police), Army, IRGC, and the state radio and television officials to discover ways to counter the Corona news in the cyberspace have been another task of this command center,” he added.
Also, Hussein Shahriar, IRGC commander of the city of Maku’s State Security Force (SSF), announced the arrest of people for insulting regime officials in cyberspace and said that any insult to officials and spreading false information (in relation to Coronavirus) would be considered a crime and that FATA police would deal with its perpetrators. Some have already been arrested on these bogus charges in Isfahan.
Hushang Hosseini, SSF commander of Ardebil Province, announced the arrest of 11 people on charges related to disseminating information on Coronavirus.
In another development, the Iranian regime’s Army announced that it had been ordered by the General Staff of the Armed Forces to carry out biological warfare exercises.
Khamenei’s order for biological warfare, exercises comes a day after he accused the United States of producing and exporting Coronavirus, making it abundantly clear that his preposterous remarks were a prelude to further arrests and detentions.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
March 23, 2020
