Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said that those released include half of all "security-related" prisoners, without giving any details.

On 9 March 2020, around 70,000 prisoners were also temporarily released from prisons due to the outbreak ostensibly to limit the further spread of the disease within prisons.

"Overcrowding, poor nutrition and a lack of hygiene are also serious concerns. These issues indicate a high risk to prisoners’ health from malnutrition and disease. Recent reports indicate that the COVID-19 virus has spread inside Iranian prisons," warned Javaid Rehman, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. (ILKHA)