Iran says it's released 1,000 foreign prisoners since outbreak began
Amid criticism from rights organizations, Tehran said it has temporarily released more than 1,000 foreigners due to the pandemic.
Of the reported 100,000 inmates temporarily released in Iran amid the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, more than 1,000 are foreigners, the Iranian government said Tuesday.
"What Iran has done in guaranteeing prisoners' health and granting furlough to them is a significant move,” said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili at a news conference.
The Islamic Republic has released tens of thousands of prisoners since February in an effort to reduce crowding in the jails. Among those temporarily released are British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, UK resident Aras Amiri and US Navy veteran Michael White.
Last week, a panel of United Nations experts urged Iran to broaden the criteria for release to include “prisoners of conscience and dual and foreign nationals.”
