A letter from a number of prisoners of the Tehran prison about the disastrous situation of drinking and sanitary water in this prison

remarkable
Mr. First Vice President
Mr. Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education
Mr. Minister of Energy
Madam Vice President and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization
Mr. Governor of Tehran
Mr. President of the Organization of Prisons and Security and Educational Measures of the country

The letter is as follows:

Provision of safe and sanitary water is not only a humanitarian and sanitary requirement, but based on Article 128 of the Executive Regulations of the Organization of Prisons and Provisional and Educational Measures of the country (approved 2004), it is considered one of the legal duties of this organization.

However, unfortunately, based on the available evidence and field reports, the current water situation in Tehran's large prison (Fashafouye) is extremely worrying.

The water supply of this prison is provided entirely through underground wells.  However, based on the available information, the location of these wells is located near livestock farms and industrial areas, and the possibility of chemical and microbial contamination is very high.  Unfortunately, there is currently no effective treatment system or continuous sanitary control for this water.

On the other hand, the initial construction and equipping of this prison was done solely by the prisons organization and many internal affairs (including welfare, service and even facilities) were prepared over time with the effort and expense of the prisoners themselves;  But since the part related to water supply and purification is out of reach of the prisoners, there is no possibility to modify or improve the water quality inside the complex.

Currently, access to safe drinking water has become virtually impossible.  The available water is not only salty and bad-tasting, but many prisoners suffer from dry and itchy skin, skin fungus and digestive problems, which are most likely caused by the contamination of the drinking water.  In addition, access to hot water for bathing has become almost an unattainable dream.

Due to the current situation, prisoners have to use the mineral water sold in the prison store to provide drinking water.  This is despite the fact that the price of each bottle of mineral water inside the prison is several times the price of the outside market, and many prisoners cannot afford it;  As a result, a large number of them are forced to use the same contaminated well water.

Considering the importance of the physical health and human dignity of the prisoners, and citing the legal duty of the organization to maintain the health and safety of the detainees, it is expected that the following matters will be investigated and acted upon immediately:

.  Dispatch of environmental health expert group and water laboratory of the Ministry of Health in order to take samples of the water used in the prison and measure its chemical and microbial parameters.
.  The official and transparent announcement of the test results and its publication for the information of families and public opinion.
.  Construction or reconstruction of the water treatment plant system of the prison under the technical supervision of the water and sewage organization of Tehran province.
.  Provision of safe packaged water for prisoners, especially for poor people or in prisons where water pollution is more.
.  Eliminating the lack of hot water and improving the condition of bathrooms and sanitary facilities in order to prevent the spread of skin and infectious diseases.

In the end, it is emphasized that addressing this issue is not only a measure to enforce the law and respect the rights of prisoners, but it is also a necessary step to prevent wider health crises in the prison environment.