In March, Iran became the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. From the early days of the crisis, the country was criticized for both mismanagement and manipulation of data for political ends. Especially troubling has been the government’s persistence in keeping political inmates locked up despite the imminent threat of an outbreak in prisons.

There are many men and women behind bars today for political activism and for advocating for human rights in Iran. With the outbreak, the situation has become one of life and death. Iran had already released around 85,000 “low-level” detainees. But despite the dangers, most political prisoners remain in detention.

Last week, 13 United Nations human rights experts called on Iran to “expand its temporary release of thousands of detainees to include prisoners of conscience.” The experts specifically mentioned two iconic women’s rights defenders — Nasrin Sotoudeh and Narges Mohammadi — who are now essentially detained in an incubator for infections, magnifying the cruelty of their already-unjust imprisonment.

Sotoudeh is probably the most internationally renowned prisoner of conscience in Iran. As one of the most prominent human rights lawyers in the country, she has been involved in many high-profile legal cases. In addition to representing political activists, she has defended women protesting against having to wear the mandatory Islamic headscarf. There are always consequences for rights defenders in Iran, and not surprisingly, she has faced serious challenges during her career. In 2011, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison and banned from practicing law and leaving the country for 20 years. Although the court of appeals reduced her sentence to six years and her practice ban to 10 years, the judiciary wanted to make an example out of her. A mother of two, Sotoudeh was freed after three years only to be arrested again in June 2018 and charged with spying, spreading propaganda and insulting Iran’s supreme leader. This time she was given 148 lashes and a total sentence of 38 years, 12 years of which she is required to serve.