Arab News, London

Prisoners in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, including a British-Iranian national, are objecting to plans to transfer them to a ward that they believe has held up to three inmates infected with coronavirus.

Sherry Ashoori, wife of 65-year-old British-Iranian prisoner Anoosheh Ashoori, has told the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of plans to move her husband and other inmates to ward 4.

Anoosheh has told his wife that the prisoners in ward 12 are refusing to be moved, but expect that they could be forced to do so.

Evin prison is where Iran keeps many of its political prisoners. Richard Ratcliffe — whose wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed in the prison for five years — said he is “hoping the reports are not true.”

He added: “This highlights what a precarious position Nazanin and all the other prisoners are in — and the terrifying situation the whole country finds itself in due to lack of medicines, lack of management and most of all a lack of transparency.”

The FCO “asked us on Friday what message we wanted them to give to the Iranian authorities — it was going to be that the complacency with ordinary lives needs to end,” he said.

“Perhaps now it is (time) to work together to keep people safe. Those conversations about potential humanitarian supplies suddenly feel a lot more pressing.”

The FCO told Sherry that it is investigating claims of coronavirus in Evin prison, and that the British Ambassador to Iran Robert Macaire is aware of the reports.

It added that there was no independent confirmation of the prisoners’ claims. Arab News contacted the FCO for comment, but no statement was given.