Concerns have been raised all over the world about the safety of prison inmates in this time of the COVI-19 onslaught as some prisons especially those in Africa are not in the best of shapes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Iran pardons 10,000 prisoners after freeing 85,000 people thanks to COVID-19
The world is in health crisis but some prisoners stand to benefit as countries put measures in place to stop the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Iran pardons 10,000 prisoners after freeing 85,000 people from jail thanks to COVID-19
ADVERTISEMENT
In the wake of calls for the safeguarding of prisoner, some countries are taking country-specific measures to avoid the spread of the disease among their inmates.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will pardon 10,000 more prisoners including political detainees to combat the coronavirus epidemic.
The intended move comes a day after a deputy health Minister Alireza Raisi revealed that Iran’s death toll had jumped by 149 to 1,284 in 24 hours while the total number of infected people increased to 18,407.
ADVERTISEMENT
“With 149 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll from the virus reaches 1,284. Unfortunately, we had 1,046 new cases of the infection since yesterday,” Raisi said.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili disclosed on Tuesday that Iran had temporarily freed about 85,000 people from jail, including political prisoners, in response to the coronavirus epidemic.
It appears the country still has more people to let of. Two days after freeing 85,000 people, State TV quoted the judiciary spokesman as saying that another 10,000 prisoners would be granted amnesty under a decree by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to mark the Iranian new year on Friday.
“Those who will be pardoned will not return to jail … almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as well,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
“A large number of prisoners who have been temporarily freed do not need to return to jail after the leader’s pardon,” Esmaili said.
“The unprecedented point is that the pardon also includes the security-related prisoners with less than five-year jail sentences,” Esmaili said.
Well, in Ghana, similar calls have been made but information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah revealed at a press conference on Wednesday, March 18 that the minister for defence has been tasked to figure out a measure that guarantees the safety of prisoners and present to cabinet on Thursday as the coronavirus continues to spread.
The confirmed cases in Ghana have risen from 7 on Wednesday to 11 on Thursday, March 19.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh