Call on the international community to secure the release of prisoners to prevent a major humanitarian disaster
This afternoon, March 19, 2020, prisoners at the Parsilon Prison in Khorramabad (western Iran), who were at risk of coronavirus infection, rebelled, disarmed the guards, and escaped. Prison guards and the repressive forces opened fire on about 250 fleeing inmates and killed several of them.
A number of prisoners ignited fires and blocked the road to prevent the repressive forces from chasing them. The IRGC is searching for the inmates across the city of Khorramabad and in the surrounding areas and has set up checkpoints in many locations.
While the number of victims of the Coronavirus is increasing exponentially every day, hundreds of thousands of inmates in various cities are at risk of a major disaster. Despite domestic and international calls for the release of the majority of the prisoners, especially political prisoners, however, the Iranian regime is refusing to do so.
The Iranian Resistance again calls on the international community to take immediate action to secure the release of prisoners in Iran and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
March 19, 2020
