On Tuesday, May 12, the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced that the number of the coronavirus’ victims has surpassed 41,000 people in 317 cities across Iran.
MEK reported to have obtained the information through its domestic network inside the country. The announcement came while the Iranian government declared that 6,733 people have died of the COVID-19 disease, which is less than a seventh of the actual death toll.
According to the MEK, the virus’s fatalities in different provinces includes 3,370 in Qom, 2,510 in Mazandaran, 2,320 in Khuzestan, 1,280 in Golestan, 1,140 in Hamedan, 1,085 in Lorestan, 660 in Kurdistan, 582 in Markazi (Central), and 460 in Kerman. This is in addition to reports obtained from other provinces.
Notably, physicians from two hospitals in Tehran, Shohada-ye Gonmam and Ziaian, reported at least 230 coronavirus patients lost their lives in these hospitals alone.
Additionally, on May 8, the state-run IRNA news agency quoted Parviz Ghezelbash, the dean of Medical Science University in Zanjan province, as saying, “Now, around 19,000 patients suspicion with coronavirus are under quarantine in Zanjan province.” He added, “More than 1,000 of them tested positive so far.”
Also, on May 10, Gholamreza Shariati, Khuzestan governor, announced that the number of COVID-19 patients has increased by 200 percent during the last month.
On May 12, the state-run ISNA news agency reported, “The rising trend or the start of a peak is witnessed in eight provinces, including Lorestan, Mazandaran, Khuzestan, Kerman, Markazi (Central), Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmed, Ilam, and Hamedan.”
On the other hand, authorities try to depict the conditions as normal. In this respect, the Jahan-e Sanat newspaper wrote, “With each passing day, [officials] are announcing a lower number of coronavirus deaths to portray normal circumstances for the people. In many cities, they are no longer taking COVID-19 patients to hospitals. They refuse to provide medical treatment for so long that the patient dies and is directly taken to a cemetery.”
In this context, a member of the Parliament (Majlis), Amir Khojasteh, criticized the regime’s mismanagement, saying, “Today, our county is dealing with two viruses: the coronavirus and the virus of economic mismanagement.”
There are also worrying news about prisons. On May 11, the regime’s President Hassan Rouhani admitted to a part of the crisis inside prisons. “In one Iranian prison, 100 out of 120 inmates became infected with COVID-19,” Rouhani said.
On May 11, inmates in Urmia prison launched a riot in protest against the regime’s indifference about their dire conditions. It is said that the prison’s wards lack basic health and hygienic supplies. Also, in Ward Three, the guards have placed more than 150 prisoners while the ward’s maximum capacity is 50 alone.
On May 9, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), criticized the silence of the international community about the health crisis in Iranian prisons. “Silence vis-à-vis the atrocities perpetrated in prisons by the clerical regime is tantamount to disregard for humanitarian principles for which humankind has offered millions of victims #Covid_19 #Iran,” she tweeted.
Silence vis-à-vis the atrocities perpetrated in prisons by the clerical regime is tantamount to disregard for humanitarian principles for which humankind has offered millions of victims #Covid_19 #Iran pic.twitter.com/UgTVgbmKzb
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) May 9, 2020
Source » irannewsupdate