Reports emerging from Iran on October 15 and 16 detail a severe COVID-19 outbreak and a compounding food crisis in the women’s ward of Iran’s notorious Evin Prison.
According to information leaked from the facility, virtually all female inmates have contracted the virus while simultaneously being subjected to a critical lack of medical care, severely reduced food rations, and declining meal quality. While precise case numbers and virus variants remain unverified due to a lack of formal diagnostic testing, reports indicate near-total transmission within the ward.
A Critical Health Emergency
The current wave of infections is characterized by severe shortness of breath—a symptom that poses life-threatening risks, particularly for inmates with underlying health conditions. Over recent days, numerous prisoners have developed acute respiratory distress. Despite showing critical symptoms, they are being denied adequate medical attention and specialized care.
Medical experts note that shortness of breath requires immediate clinical evaluation, and delays in treatment can be especially dangerous for individuals with pre-existing heart, lung, or chronic conditions.
This outbreak unfolds against a backdrop of chronically substandard health and hygiene conditions in Evin’s women’s ward. Female prisoners have long faced systematic deprivation, including restricted access to essential medications, refusal of consultations with specialized doctors, and blocked transfers to external medical centers—a pattern of neglect that continues to endanger lives.
A Worsening Food Crisis
Compounding the health emergency, a severe food crisis has gripped the ward. Prisoner rations have been drastically slashed, the distribution of raw food supplies has completely ceased, and the quality of cooked meals has hit an all-time low.
According to incoming reports, Evin Prison authorities halted the distribution of dry goods and raw rations two months ago, leaving many female inmates facing chronic hunger. At the same time, exorbitant prices and poor product quality at the prison commissary make it nearly impossible for inmates to supplement their diets independently.
The food prepared in the prison kitchen has deteriorated to such an extent that it is virtually inedible. Consequently, several political prisoners have been forced to reduce their daily meals to just bread and yogurt.
