cases in several prisons.11 Such concerns have been echoed by the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran in his report published in July 2020.12
Documents recently leaked to Amnesty International indicate that Iran’s Ministry of Health has
repeatedly ignored urgent appeals from the Prisons Organization to remedy the widespread
shortages of the protective equipment, disinfectant products, and medical supplies needed to fight
the pandemic.13
Special Procedures of the UN have sent numerous communications raising concerns about health
conditions of individuals while in detention, 14 15 16 including more recently about added health
risks from the COVI-19 pandemic. There are frequent reports of individuals in detention being
denied medical care in Iranian prisons.17 18 This persistence of such cases in Iranian prisons suggest
that investigations, if conducted, do not necessarily lead to accountability for perpetrators.
Despite the existence of several means and mechanisms that accept complaints regarding the
violation of fair trial standards in Iran, such as the Judges Disciplinary Court, the Article 90
Parliamentary Commission and, in general, any appeals court and Supreme Court, there is limited
evidence to suggest these complaints are addressed and adjudicated by the authorities.
In light of the above, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not launched full investigation into cases of
endangered well-being and health of prisoners.
B. The Special Rapporteur requests that he be granted the ability to substantiate
accounts raised in his report through access to both detention centres and those
detained
As of February 2021, Iran has not allowed the Special Rapporteur to travel to Iran and gain
access to prisoners and detainees for field research since the re-establishment of the mandate in
2012.
11
HRANA, https://www.en-hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/COVID19_FEAR_IN_IRANS_PRISONS_.pdf
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020,
https://undocs.org/A/75/213
13
Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/iran-leaked-letters-reveal-state-denial-of-covid19crisis-in-prisons/
14
Special Procedures Communication sent to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 3 October 2018, UA IRN 12/2018,
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24120
15
Special Procedures Communication sent to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 8 September 2020, UA IRN 21/2020,
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25522
16
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January 2019,
https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/40/67
17
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, January,
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_
Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4361.pdf
18
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 2020, https://documentsdds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N20/190/27/PDF/N2019027.pdf?OpenElement
12
3