Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

18 June. The ICRC distributed large quantities of hygiene products, including soap, bleach, chlorine, sprayers, rubber boots and gloves. Hand washing stations were also installed for detainees and staff.

17 May. A member of the prison administration announced that 30 beds were brought to the prison in Herat province to take care of inmates who were ill or suspected of being ill.

6 May. Videos showing prisoners exhibiting symptoms of the virus were posted online. The Taliban individuals concerned accused the government of spreading the virus in prisons and warned of retaliation if one of their own became infected. This upsurge in tension could undermine deals to swap prisoners which were recently signed between the two parties.  

22 April. The new director of prison administration deplored “generalized abuses” within the country’s prisons. There was a lack of resources to provide medical care, he said, and the lack of a central census system did not allow a comprehensive overview on the prisoners’ sentences. He was alarmed by the degree of corruption from the guards. The visitation suspension indeed revealed that it was the staff and not the families who introduced drugs into the prison.

10 April. The country’s prisons were overcrowded, with deplorable sanitary conditions, according to Amnesty International.

Sentence adjustments¶

27 May. President Ashraf Ghani announced the release of 2 000 Taliban prisoners on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

22 April. More than 5 000 people were released. Most of them were minors, people who had been ill and women.

8 April. The government announced the release of 100 taliban prisoners. The assignees of this measure presented health problems, old age or had already served most of their sentence.

25 March. Ten thousand prisoners will be released in the coming ten days. The prisoners mainly benefitting from this measure are women, minors and those prisoners suffering from health conditions.

Contact with the outside world¶

22 April. Prisoner visits were suspended.

Acts of protest¶

3 August. An attack planned by Islamic State (IS) against the prison of Jalalabad caused at least 20 deaths. More than 1,700 people, mostly Taliban and ISIS, were held there. Authorities say the 700 prisoners who managed to escape were all caught.

22 April. Inmates at Pul-e-Charkhi prison went on a hunger strike demanding amnesty. It was then interrupted. They denounced the unsanitary health conditions and the lack of medical equipment.

Appeals and recommendations¶

3 May. The spokesperson of the National Security Council (ONSC) confirmed the release of 98 Taliban prisoners.

22 April. A delegation from the National Assembly visited some prisons in Kabul, including the prison of Pul- e-Charkhi. The situation there was declared to be “terrible”. The delegation pointed to the continued detention of persons who had served their full sentence, elderly prisoners or prisoners suffering from incurable diseases.

10 April. Amnesty International called for the effective implementation of the presidential decree arranging the release of 10 000 prisoners. The human rights organisation specified that female prisoners should be the primary recipients.

Identified cases¶

18 June. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that more than 100 positive cases had been detected in the country’s places of detention.

17 May. At least 13 prisoners tested positive at a prison in the Herat province.

16 May. A total of 50 prisoners and prison staff members tested positive among 600 suspected cases in Pul-e-Charkhi and Kabul prisons. Infected prisoners were isolated in the quarantine ward of the Pul-e-Charkhi prison, whose capacity of 250 beds could be increased to 1 000 if needed.

6 May. The spokesperson for the prison system confirmed that six prisoners were infected with the virus out of 600 prisoners who had been tested. A detainee from the Pul-e-Charkhi prison revealed that three prisoners had died following complications linked to the virus.  

30 April. The prison administration announced that 47 detainees in the Pul-e-Charkhi prison have tested positive.

29 April. The prison administration announced that a total of 46 inmates tested positive at prisons in Kabul.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

31 August. Families of prisoners reported that the administration has not distributed any masks or hand sanitizers and inmates must buy their own soap. The administration denied this and said they had distributed free personal protective equipment.

29 June. The Council of Europe announced that masks, smocks, gloves, antibacterial gel, ventilators, goggles as well as thermometers would be distributed within prisons over the forthcoming weeks.

25 June. The Council of Europe distributed the “necessary protective equipment” to the prison administration and the department in charge of health within the ministry of Justice.

Prisoners would have to buy the necessary products to disinfect their cells themselves. No masks were been distributed to the prisoners or prison officers.

24 March. Prisoners lack hygiene products, and water is dirty, according to Journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, released on March 17, 2020. he called for the release of the other imprisoned journalists. And added: ”Picture 170 people in close proximity in the same cell.”

Sentence adjustments¶

23 May. The Justice minister announced that 624 prisoners had been temporarily released.

10 April. President Ilham Aliyev pardoned 176 prisoners who were ill or over 65.

27 March. Two-hundred prisoners were given an early release following an urgency examination of their case by the judge.

Contact with the outside world¶

18 May. The delivery of parcels and money transfers to prisoners were permitted again. Visits were still forbidden. The delivery of hygiene products within prisons was hindered.

Appeals et recommendations¶

27 May. Amnesty International implored authorities to stop the oppression and incarceration of activists due to the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Identified cases¶

31 August. A prison in the suburb of Gobustan, near Bakou, reported 19 inmates and five staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

24 July. Jam News reported that several inmates died from COVID-19 in the past few months. The media pointed out that according to the national Criminal Code, “medical negligence causing death” could lead to a 5 to 7 years prison term. Lawyer Samira Agayeva pointed out that very few people had filed complaints about these accusations.

20 July. At least 40 prisoners were infected in the Bakou Number 2 prison and were transferred to special care centres.

12 June. The prison authorities confirmed that there were “a few dozen” positive cases within the country’s prisons. A number of prisoners contacted indicated there were significantly more cases than the authorities were admitting.

15 May. The prison authorities stated that 33 prisoners were infected with COVID-19 in the Colony 13 of Bakou. They added that positive cases had been detected in prisons across the entire country.

Sanitary Conditions and access to healthcare¶

1 October. The ICRC assisted in the renovation of three isolation centres. The organisation also donated health supplies to the prison.

22 June. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed toiletries to the Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari prisons.

1 April. Chittagong Prison gave masks free of charge to prison staff but offered them for sale to prisoners. The production workshops were inactive due to a shortage of materials needed to make masks.

15 March. The Inspector General of Prisons stated that each incoming prisoner is kept isolated for 14 days before joining the other prisoners. He adds that those already incarcerated will be checked one by one in all prisons in the country. The number of people allowed to visit their relatives is reduced to two per visit. They are required to observe precautionary measures: wash their hands, use disinfectant and not touch the prisoner. On the same day, the prison administration denied the idea of conditional releases of prisoners and stated that no prisoner was currently infected with the virus.
The measures introduced were aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country’s 68 prisons. The Inspector General of Prisons announced in September 2019 that only 9 of the 141 prison doctor posts in the country had been filled.

Judicial system¶

1 July. Human rights watch called on the authorities to repeal the Digital Security Act under which there was an increase in prison sentences for journalists during the pandemic.

19 March. The Supreme Court prohibited the police and prison authorities from holding trials in the context of the spread of the epidemic.

Sentence adjustments¶

23 May. The prison administration implemented the early release of 17 people detained for minor infractions and who had carried out at least half of their sentences.

6 April. The Prime Minister requested for the authorities to proceed with the release of 3,000 people detained.

1 April. The prison administration considered to release 3,000 prisoners. The majority were sentenced for so-called minor offenses or awaiting trial.

25 March. The government, temporarily and conditionally, released former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for health reasons. She has been put on house arrest to receive medical care.

Contact with the outside world¶

1 April. The authorities set up telephone boxes to allow detainees to maintain contact with their families. Prisoners would be able to call once a week for five minutes.

Appeals and recommendations.¶

27 May. The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research announced that the virus would have differing effects on the menstrual health of female prisoners based on the country context and its ability to respond.

Identified cases¶

13 May. The prison authorities announced the death of a prisoner infected with coronavirus at the central prison in Silhet.

22 April. A staff member from Dhaka central prison tested positive for the coronavirus. He was reportedly infected during the surveillance of detainees taken care of in one of the capital’s overcrowded hospitals.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

20 April. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organized training of chlorine disinfection of prisons. Twenty-eight establishments participated.
The Ministry of Health insisted that prisoners should wash their hands with soap regularly, not touch their faces and wear masks. Overcrowding in the country’s prisons made social distancing inapplicable.

10 April. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) signed an agreement for the supply of 20 tons of medical supplies to the prison administration. This equipment included approximately 50 kilos of calcium hypochlorite powder, protective clothing, boots, gloves, glasses, buckets of water spray, sanitizers and medical masks.
Amnesty International released footage showing the extreme overcrowding and “inhumane conditions” inside Cambodian prisons.

27 March. The Regional Director of Amnesty international declared that the Cambodian authorities “[had] used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to further harass and detain government critics”. The organisation noted that Cambodia’s prisons held 37 000 people despite an estimated capacity of 26 593. It also stated that overcrowded detention centres were “a ticking time bomb”.

26 March. New detainees were instructed to be quarantined in isolation for 14 days before joining other inmates.

Judicial system¶

May. The Department of Justice launched a 6-month campaign to make up for the backlog of municipal and provincial courts in dealing with court cases. Among the 40 000 detainees in the country, only 30% were sentenced.

18 May. The Justice minister announced the implementation of an action plan to favour non-custodial measures for offenders.

Sentence adjustments¶

27 May. The Minister of the Interior announced the beginning of a “campaign to reduce the prisons overcrowding.”. He stated that up to 10 000 people detained for so-called minor acts could be released.

Contact with the outside world¶

4 December. Following the suspension of visits, families of political prisoners expressed concerns about the health of their loved ones. They hold weekly demonstrations in the capital demanding their husbands’ release and denounce the lack of information. Some of them have underlying health conditions and co-morbidity issues.

16 April. The wives of jailed opposition activists asked to contact their husbands to check on their health. A spokesperson for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) maintained that the authorities had to put in place visits for those in detention.

26 March. The Interior Ministry announced a temporary suspension of inmate visitation rights. Necessary visits may be authorized if visitors have medical certificates and have their temperatures checked.

Appeals and recommendations¶

9 December. The Cambodian Human Rights League (La ligue cambodgienne pour la promotion et la défense des droits humains (LICADHO), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on officials to take measures to protect inmates’ rights to health. This appeal was made after several corrections officials who had visited a number of prisons. The organisations pointed out the extreme overcrowding in Cambodian prisons (over 300 %) and the lack of medical care and sanitizers (soap and especially potable water). They called on the authorities to test everyone in prison, to put effective health protocols in place and to carry out mass releases, particularly of people awaiting trial.

3 June. Amnesty International asked prison authorities to conduct a “systematic re-examination” of instances where individuals were imprisoned for minor or non-violent offences. The organisation gave the example of individuals incarcerated in prisons for drug addiction.

26 March. The Licadho human rights organization called on the government to consider increasing the number of prisoners who receive clemency. The organization said that pregnant women, women with young children and inmates with health conditions should be prioritised for clemency.

24 March. Human Rights Watch asks the Cambodian authorities to stop the arrest and temporary detention of individuals expressing doubts or circulating information considered fake on the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Identified cases¶

17 July. The Ministry of the interior announced that the risk of spreading the virus within the kingdom’s 28 prisons had been ruled out. As of this day, “no prisoner had been infected with COVID-19”, declared the director of the prison administration.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

24 February. Relatives of Uighurs placed in “re-education camps” are concerned about a possible spread of the disease. Former detainees reported deplorable conditions of detention and multiple violations of their rights: “Overcrowded and dirty cells, malnutrition, physical, psychological and sexual abuse, plasma and organ harvesting, forced labour… “. Amnesty International considers this fear “legitimate”.

Appeals and recommendations¶

19 April. The wife of a Chinese lawyer specialising in human rights, together with several organisations, condemned the political use of the pandemic by the authorities to prevent him from regaining his freedom. He had been forced into a de facto house arrest in his native village. He was prohibited from returning to his family, despite the release order that should have been implemented after a 14 day quarantine. Another lawyer was in the same situation following the decision to release him on 28 February. He was refused access to medical care. Human rights groups called the common practice “non-release release”.

Identified cases¶

30 March. No case of infection with the COVID-19 virus was officially recorded in prisons in Xinjiang. This northwestern province contains the most penal institutions and a “network of indoctrination camps”.

21 February. The authorities reported that 500 people were infected in several prisons in the country. Among them, 230 were detected in the only women’s prison in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak was first identified. Two hundred inmates and seven guards at the Rencheng prison in the Shandong province are infected. At the Shilifeng prison (Zhejiang province), a warden reportedly infected several people after concealing a recent trip to the Hubei province. Many leaders have been dismissed.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

25 March. A source said that Chongori prison had been disinfected in its entirety and that all the prisoners had been tested. The practice was considered unusual.

Appeals and recommendations¶

10 June. The United Nations Special Rapporteur expressed his concern regarding the situation in the political prison camps. The virus, as well as a food shortage, posed a risk for the prisoners.

23 April. The United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul was concerned about the “lack of transparency and information” regarding prisoner camps. It stated that prisoners were made vulnerable by the cramped detention conditions in which they lived. Pyongyang had not reported any cases.

Identified cases¶

25 March. Daily NK announced that 11 prisoners had died of “respiratory issues” in Chongori prison, North Hamgyong province. The authorities added that the cause of these deaths was prisoners’ “weak immune systems”. Observers deemed that the deaths could be due to COVID-19.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

17 June. The country’s immigration detention centres were close to 100% capacity. The average time of detention was also on the rise.

Judiciary system¶

15 July. A Court in Seoul convicted an individual to 6 months in prison for repeatedly breaking the quarantine rules.

26 May. A man was sentenced to four months of prison for breaking quarantine rules.

15 May. Trials planned to be held at the Seoul Central District Court and Seoul High Court were postponed.

Identified cases¶

29 December. Dongbu prison, located South-East of Seoul, reported 771 infected inmates and one death. Twenty-one staff members tested positive for the virus as well. Pictures in the local media showed inmates holding signs calling for help.

20 December. Officials reported 188 new infections among both, the staff and inmates at Dongbu prison, South-East of Seoul.

15 May. A member of the Seoul prison authorities tested positive.
The Ministry of Justice said that 254 prisoners and 23 employees had been placed in quarantine.

18 March. Three guards and four cooks at Daegu prison tested positive. The prison housed 3 000 prisoners. All movements, activities and visits had been suspended. Two doctors from the outside had been appointed to the prisons once all medical workers had been quarantined. They were isolating and monitoring the prisoners who showed symptoms on a daily basis.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

18 March. The prison administration implemented preventive measures: all detained persons must wear a mask during visits, activities, and during medical appointments and court hearings. Members of the prison administration must also wear masks at work and during their journeys from home and prison.

All the activities planned by non-governmental organizations were suspended.

Educational brochures on hygiene measures were distributed to detainees and informative posters were hung on the walls.

“Appropriate and sufficient personal protective equipment” should be provided to supervisors when escorting detainees. Hydroalcoholic gels were distributed to prisoners, staff and visitors. The body temperature must be taken at the entrance of prisons for all visitors and that of prisoners must also be taken at regular intervals.

Visiting rooms, cells and the premises of prison staff were regularly disinfected. Air purifiers were placed in risk areas, such as treatment centers or reception rooms.

A document should list, for each establishment, the movement and contact history of prisoners and members of the administration. People who had been in contact with known or suspected cases of infection with the COVID-19 virus were placed in quarantine.

Newly admitted prisoners should be isolated from the rest of the prison’s population in specific cells for a period of 14 days.

The administration requested to limit prison staff gatherings and to organize individualized spaces in the canteen premises as much as possible.

The Hong Kong Health Protection Center continuously informs the prison administration about the developments of the epidemic.

12 March. Women detained at Lo Wu Prison were requested to produce hydroalcoholic masks and gels in order to cope with the shortage. The prison administration confirmed that 100 women were working night and day, 6-10 hours a day, 6 days a week.

Prisoners complained about the low wages (95 euros per month) and the consequences on their own health.

Contact with the outside world¶

14 June. Long-term prisoners received a tablet for reading, watching videos and participating in rehabilitation programmes.

On March 16th, the Supreme Court requested the States and Union territories to communicate the measures implemented in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within Indian prisons. The Court is concerned that overcrowding may prevent the application of the principle of “social distancing”. Occupancy rates average 117.6% in the country and up to 176.5% in Uttar Pradesh. Gujarat, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman et Diu, Delhi and Pondichéry have not provided any response.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

16 December. The Maharashtra prison population houses 31,000 inmates, surpassing its official capacity of 23,217. This number had dropped to 24,000 during the lockdown. Prison officials said it was impossible to maintain physical distancing and put effective health measures in place.

14 December. A history study showed there is a parallel between the current “hazardous” management of the pandemic in Indian prisons to that of cholera by colonial administrators. It points the finger at the lack of real change, as well as the sometimes counterproductive practices of the authorities in terms of public health.

23 September. Senior police personnel encouraged inmates who had recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma to help those infected to recover. Plasma collections were performed in the Luksar prison.

19 August. Tests were completed in the prisons of Kerala after discovering numerous cases of infection among the prisoners and staff members.

14 August. Kerala prison headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram closed for three days after cases increased among the prisoners. The director general of prisons announced that all new arrivals at Srinagar prison of Kashmir were tested and placed in solitary for 14 days.

12 August. Several provinces considered laying off the prison staff in the administration due to the increase of infection rates.

30 July. The Odisha prison authority asked “the police to test detainees before sending them to prison”.

24 July. The high court of Guwahati gave orders to provide the best of medical care to prisoners infected with COVID-19.
The authorities created a special section for treating asymptomatic positive inmates at the Nagaon prison.
A 200-bed medical centre for ill inmates (COVID care center) was opened at the Guwahati central prison.

19 July. Tests were carried out indiscriminately on prisoners in Maharshtra. Certain medical services, already overwhelmed, did not have capacity to carry out the tests.

6 July. The Director General of Police made a monitoring visit to ensure that health measures were in place in Srinagar Central Prison (Jammu and Kashmir). He inspected the kitchens, video-conference rooms and sports facilities.

30 June. Delhi’s prisons registered 80 new prisoners every day. The measures taken to free up the prison population had been outpaced.

26 June. Advocate-general of the State of Maharashtra requested to the High Court that prisoners with comorbid conditions have access to rapid diagnostic tests.

The Supreme Court ruled out the idea of blanket testing the prison population of the state of Maharashtra. The attorney general of the State asked the Court to prioritise quick diagnostic tests on prisoners showing a combination of symptoms.

25 June. Ghaziabad college was turned into a detention facility housing 200 people. The authorities stated that the goal was to make sure the virus did not reach Dasna prison.

22 June. A journalist and activist denounced detention conditions within a school in Bombay which has temporarily been converted into a prison.

20 June. Inmates over the age of 60 were sent to alcoves separate from the rest of the prison population.

19 June. Authorities from Maharashtra informed the Bombay High Court that the temperature of prisoners and members of the prison staff would now be checked on a daily basis. They added that, if necessary, 36 penal facilities would be converted into temporary care centres.

8 June. The prison administration announced masks production by prisoners from the Hamirpur prisons.

16 May. The administration ordered the requisition of “private and government buildings” for use as prisons. The objective was to reduce overcrowding in jail.

10 May. A temporary quarantine area was set up at the prison of Arthur Road. A member of the administration stated that a medical team of seven was visiting the place daily.

19 April. A committee headed by a judge from the High Court of Delhi decided to transfer 200 prisoners from Rohini prison and 50 from Tihar prison to Mandoli prison to reduce overcrowding. The prison authorities specified that the buses used should not be filled in excess of half or a quarter of their capacity.

26 March. The former Rajastan general prison inspector reports the appalling state of sanitary installations in the country’s prisons. The majority of doctors lack experience and do not receive training specific to the prison environment. The number of doctors allocated to detention centres decreased by 40% between the end of 2018 (3220) and the beginning of 2020 (1914). There is one member of medical staff for every 243 prisoners.

24 March. Twenty prisoners from the Baghpat prison in Uttar Pardesh showing symptoms of Covid-19 are placed in quarantine.

The Rajasthan and Jharkhand announce their intent to reduce rates of occupancy in the most overpopulated prisons by transferring prisoners to other detention centres.

15 March. The government of the State of Kerala announced the requisition of prisoners for the production masks and hydro-alcoholic gels.
The authorities in Kerala and Delhi decided to set up isolation cells in which all prisoners with feverish symptoms are placed. All new entrants are placed in isolation for a period of six days.

Judicial system¶

19 October. The government procured new videoconferencing licences to be used in courts. More than two million cases have been heard virtually since the pandemic broke out. The parliamentary committee on justice called for virtual court hearings to continue when the pandemic is over. They would be less costly and faster.

25 September. Authorities in Madhya Pradesh added a two-month extension to the temporary releases granted to 3,900 inmates due to the pandemic. Their return to detention is scheduled for the end of November.

19 July. Legal organisations denounced the closing down of opportunities for legal redress due to the pandemic. Unsupervised visits with prisoners were “virtually impossible” and procedures to request early release were made more complicated.

27 June. Between 31 May and 19 June, 30 additional people were imprisoned in the prisons of the State of Maharashtra, making attempts to reduce overpopulation in prisons futile.

28 June. Not all of the country’s prisons were able to organise virtual hearings with the courts. Only 36.7% of local prisons had video conference systems. On average, 66% of women’s prisons were equipped versus 93% of male prisons.

11 June. At least 129 of the 2 800 prisoners released from the Tihar prison in April were re-arrested.

2 June. The lockdown increased delays in the processing of case files. Few requests for early release were granted. The number of cases waiting to be tried increased to 36 million.

28 April. Six Thai nationals were incarcerated in Puzhal prison, Chennai, for violating rules linked to visa acquisition. They had previously been hospitalised so they could be treated for COVID-19.

23 April. The government approved a decree aimed at punishing any acts of violence and harassment towards medical staff. These acts gradually increased since the beginning of the epidemic. They would be punished by prison sentence of 7 years and a fine.

Sentence adjustments¶

30 December. As part of an effort to ensure physical distancing within the establishments, officials in the state of Jammu-and-Kashmir announced they released of 2,703 untried prisoners on bail and 41 convicts on parole.

9 December. The government of Kerala ordered those who were conditionally released to return to prison. This contested decision was upheld after review by the judicial authorities.

28 November. The Delhi committee, created to reduce prison overcrowding, recommended the extension of temporary releases granted to 3,499 people awaiting trial and 1,183 convicted. The committee is led by a local High Court judge. This decision comes in the wake of an upsurge in the number of cases in state prisons.

26 November. Uttar Pradesh officials sent notices to 2,256 inmates who were released on parole asking them to return to prison. The notice was sent to the State’s prisons which have the capacity to hold only 58,914 inmates, but yet house almost double that number.

17 November. The Haryana State authorities extended provisional and conditional releases until 31 December. The measure affects 7,000 people. However, certain categories of inmates have been excluded, such as foreign nationals and those convicted in connection with drug trafficking.

16 November. The High Court of Kerala requested a statement of the plan for the integration of persons who have been granted provisional release. This request follows orders from the Government of Kerala for the return of prisoners out on parole. The plan must specify the measures and facilities provided within the institutions to contain the spread of the pandemic. In particular, Justice Arun stated that he “hoped that the government would propose a further extension.”

3 November. Paroles for inmates aged 65 and older were extended by one month in the state of Kerala. The other prison population categories were to be readmitted according to the prescribed time frame of the government order.

2 November. A court brought to light the contradictions of the Indian justice system during the pandemic. There were many releases, but there were also many new inmates admitted. Delhi officials released 7,000 people but 5,500 new inmates were incarcerated between March and October. Because of the cancellation of the parole order, some of the 7,000 people released were returned to prison. These returnees added to the new inmate population and the overcrowding attained a new high.

Madhya Pradesh released more than 7,500 inmates and incarcerated the same number. In Uttar Pradesh, prison overcrowding increased from 166% in February to 179% in September despite the release of 9,000 inmates. The possible re-incarceration order by local High-Courts is concerning. There is more overcrowding than at the outbreak of the pandemic, so a second wave will have serious consequences.

28 October. The Inspector General of prisons reported that 1,176 people were given an early discharge in the State of Meghalaya. Among them were 1,156 untried prisoners.

27 October. The High Court of Delhi renewed or granted provisional release on bail for 3,337 untried prisoners. The move aims to reduce overcrowding in local prisons after the repeal of the order for early release. Without these releases, it has been estimated that the local prison population is at risk of reaching a record 22,000 in 10,000 places.

25 October. The suspension of the Delhi High Court Ordinance on the prisoner’s early release raised concerns among prison authorities for the increase of cases in detention.

22 October. the Maharashtra authorities declared that 10,668 state prisoners have been released early since the beginning of the pandemic.

20 October. The Delhi high court announced the upcoming abrogation of its general ordinance on releases and early paroles because of the pandemic. The 6,700 persons who were granted release since March may have to return to prison. Delhi currently has 15,900 inmates in its prisons meant for 10,000 places.

21 September. Authorities released on bail 350 inmates from Assam prison. This decision was made in accordance with a Supreme Court order.

30 July. The Odisha province prison administration indicated that 16 789 inmates were released early. The authorities transfered 1 200 inmates to other facilities in order to prevent overcrowding.
The Bombay Court granted a 45-day early release to an inmate serving a life sentence in the Yerwada prison.

25 June. A total of 10 000 prisoners – out of the 17 000 stated – were put on temporary release from the Maharashtra State prison. Overcrowding was still an issue in prisons.

24 May. The prison administration of the Yerawada central prison released 1 000 prisoners.

17 May. More than 42 000 prisoners awaiting trial and over 16 000 people who were sentenced were released from jail.

The prison administration of the state of West Bengal announced having released 3 000 prisoners.

The Odisha state government released 7 200 prisoners who were sentenced or awaiting trial.

12 May. A government committee (High Power Committee) announced the release of 17 000 individual prisoners from prisons in the state of Maharashtra. This represents around 50% of the prison population in the state.    11 May. The National Commission for Women announced that over 1 700 women awaiting trial had been released since 25 March.   

7 May. The High Court of Justice of Delhi decided to release for 45 days an inmate suffering from “a serious mental illness”.

19 April. The committee of the High Court of Delhi was informed that 25 people who had been sentenced would benefit from a reprieve, as would 36 more by 30 June. Out of the 1 109 prisoners who were to be released at the beginning of April, only 953 were actually released. The prison authorities added that 11 sentenced persons who could not pay their fines would have 15 days, once restrictions on movement were lifted, to pay them. The director of the Jammu and Kashmir prison authorities announced that 50 prisoners incarcerated in the area had been released. An anonymous source told Al Jazeera that 40 Kashmiris imprisoned outside the State of Jammu and Kashmir in compliance with the Public Safety Act (PSA) would be released. The PSA made it possible to imprison a person without a trial for one year.

30 March. The High Court of Kerala ruled for the conditional release, until April 30, of all those in provisional detention at the Kerala prison, and those serving a sentence of under seven years. This decision would benefit approximately 1 000 inmates.

30 March. The State of Jammu and Kashmir announced the release of 14 prisoners from Srinagar prison. Authorities could release 27 more detainees awaiting trial for so-called “minor” crimes.

The prison authorities of Tihar prison declared that 400 prisoners had been released.

The Delhi High Court announced the conditional release of 1 500 defendants in the state of Jodhpur. They indicates that this provision does not pertain to prisoners tried for drug-related crimes, sexual assault on minors, rape, acid attacks, for foreign detainees, for those accused of corruption or money laundering, terrorism or so-called “anti-national” activities.

The process of releasing 8 000 prisoners from Bhopal central prison began in Madhya Pradesh state. Among them, 5 000 were to be released for a period of 60 days. The remaining 3 000 detainees awaiting trial (for terms of up to 5 years in prison) were to be released on bail for 45 days.

The state government of Uttar Pradesh decided to release 11 000 prisoners from 71 facilities. Persons sentenced to seven years or less and defendants facing up to seven years in prison were released on bail for eight weeks.

The Gujarat state government announced the conditional release of 1 200 prisoners for a period of two months. Detainees affected by this measure had to undergo a medical examination before being released.

Detainees with flu symptoms were placed in solitary confinement.

The State of Assam announced the release of 45 detainees awaiting trial.

The administrative services of West Bengal prepared a list of 3,000 prisoners eligible for parole (2 000 accused and 1 000 convicted).

Tamil Nadu state authorities stated that they planned to release 1 200 detainees, most of whom had been arrested for so-called “minor” crimes.

29 March. The state of Maharashtra released 602 prisoners detained in 37 local and central prisons.

The penitentiary administration decided to release 71 inmates at the Agra prison, for a duration of 56 days. Benefiting from this decision were 60 men and 11 women condemned or facing charges for robbery or banditry (“dacoity”). Over 300 other prisoners were to be possibly be released during following days.

26 March. Maharashtra State Government decided to release 11 000 detainees awaiting trial or of convicts whose sentences were less than seven years.

24 March. The Calcutta High Court created a committee responsible for reducing overcrowding in prisons. It is studying the possibilities of releasing prisoners, including those who have been accused and those who have spent more than ten years in prison. The report is scheduled to be release on March 31.

23 March. The Supreme Court announces that all individuals incarcerated for sentences of seven years or less could be eligible for a conditional or temporary release.

The State of Delhi announces that certain individuals who have already served one year of their sentence and those that have been incarcerated for three months could benefit from a conditional release or permission to leave.

The Maharasthrea proposes the early release of over 5000 detainees. It announces that new prisoners will be systematically tested for the virus.

The prison administration of Tihar prison (west of New Delhi) announced the release of approximately 3 000 detainees within three or four days. Half of them, defendants awaiting trial, may be released on bail for four to five weeks. The other half, made up of convicts who have served less than seven years in prison, will be eligible for parole. This provision does not concern prisoners considered the most dangerous.

18 March. In the State of Maharashtra, the authorities proposed to apply conditional release for persons detained for so-called “minor offences”. This measure is being considered with a view to reduce overcrowding.

Acts of protest¶

16 June. The Tihar Jail authorities announced that several foreign prisoners had attempted to escape and had damaged the gates of the facility.

11 June. More than 500 prisoners went on a hunger strike in the Rourkela jail. They were demanding testing for everyone, as well as the transfer of six COVID-19 positive inmates.

8 June. The prison administration announced that two prisoners carrying the COVID-19 escaped from a health center in the district of Aurangabad (province of Maharashtra). A supervisor was implicated and suspended.

30 March. A petition forwarded to the Supreme Court call for parole of prisoners over the age of 50, those with diabetes, breathing problems or other life-threatening illnesses.

March 24. Prisoners start a sit-in, in the Jodhpur central prison to demand their release on bail. They are concerned about the health situation in penitentiary institutions and with the overcrowding.

21 March. An inmate dies by a police attack during the riots in Dum Dum prison in Calcutta. The riot lasted more than eight hours with firing equipment, improvised weapon attacks, and attempted escapes. The balance sheet reports eight were injured. The revolt arose in response to the unacceptable measures, including: the suspension of family visits until March 31, the solitary confinement cells following their parole and the delays to judge the accused detainees.

Contact with the outside world¶

6 December. Karnataka authorities announced the implementation of videoconferencing systems in order to maintain links between families. This measure comes eight months after the suspension of visits. Videoconferences are intended to last 5-10 minutes. Thane and Kalyan prisons identified a resurgence of depression. Facility inmates have reported a lack of contact with their families, particularly their children, for over eight months, despite the introduction of videoconferencing.

24 October. Authorities in Madhya Pradesh authorized prison visits from November 1 after eight months of restriction.

30 June. The prison authorities of Delhi announced that all prisons would be provided with videoconference equipment. This decision followed the suspension of visits between prisoners and their lawyers.

29 June. An inmate at Tihar prison stated that the video conference service was suspended for inmates involved in prison incidents.

23 June. The state of Maharashtra and the prison administration asked the High Court to allow prisoners to communicate with their lawyer by e-mail. They must first request permission from management.

24 April. Ahmedabad central prison developed virtual visits via the Internet. 45 to 50 prisoners per day could interact with their families. The service was accessible from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., according to the prison authorities.

2 April. The management of the Rajasthan prison launched the online platform E-Mulaqat, which would allow prisoners’ families to book meetings in the visiting rooms or carry out video calls.

17 March. The states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where cases of infection have been confirmed, suspended family visits (mulaqats).

Prisoners in Tihar have been denied family visits since March to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The distribution of 10 000 masks and 1 500 hydroalcoholic gels was accompanied by health awareness.

Appeals and recommendations¶

29 September. The department of prisons of the Uttar Pradesh government urged all officials to adopt mass testing in state prisons, with the aim to contain the epidemic’s spread by identifying asymptomatic carriers. The failure of some institutions to comply with health protocols was pointed out.

6 August. Amnesty International claimed that the regime “left political prisoners to perish in appalling conditions despite the widely publicised release programs”.

3 July. The Bombay Supreme Court directed the states to carry out random testing throughout the country’s prisons.

3 July. The Supreme Court of Bombay ordered the prison authorities of Maharashtra to implement the instructions decreed by the Indian council of medical research. The aim is to guarantee the respect of prisoners’ fundamental rights as well as their “right to live with dignity”.

3 June. A Delhi high court judge declared: “Prison is primarily for punishing convicts, not for detaining undertrials in order to send any message to society”. Overcrowded prisons in the country detained around 75% of prisoners awaiting trial.

8 May. Relatives and lawyers of detainees called for the release on bail of a number of detainees. Those who have carried out over half of their sentences may be eligible, but courts are not entertaining applications for bail for those sentenced to over seven years of prison.

14 April. The families of Kashmiri prisoners were worried about the conditions of political prisoners and asked to be able to contact them again.

6 April. Several human rights organizations requested that the government release all those arbitrarily detained, including journalists, political opponents of Kashmir or human rights defenders. They pointed out that sanitary conditions and overcrowding did not allow compliance with protective measures. The organizations also called for the release of particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those already suffering from illnesses.

Identified cases¶

30 December. Officials reported that 536 inmates tested positive in the state of Jammu-and-Kashmir. Two passed away.

14 December. The prisons reported 18,157 cases and 17 deaths (inmates and staff included).

20 November. Officials reported that there were six new cases of COVID-19 in the Mandoli prison for women in Delhi. Staff were unable to determine the source of the infection.

25 October. Authorities reported 92 prisoners tested positive in Jammu prison in the Amphalla district. Most of them have recovered.

22 October. Authorities reported six deceased prisoners and 2,340 positive cases in the state of Maharashtra. A total of 519 members of staff have tested positive and six have died.

19 October. Officials reported 45 new cases in one week at Nahan prison. This increase is troubling because the facility has very little space to quarantine infected inmates. The plan to install a quarantine centre outside the facility was turned down for security reasons.

18 October. The three Delhi prisons recorded 88 inmates and 215 staff members who tested positive.

12 October. One inmate at Bhaderwah prison, in the Doda district, died from COVID-19.

*1 October. * Karnataka officials declared that 668 inmates tested positive in the state’s 47 prisons.  Eighty-three of them were treated in hospital or health clinics. Parappana  Agrahara  central prison recorded 320 cases among its inmates. 

29 September. The 71 prisons in the state of Uttar Pradesh counted 1,200 cases among inmates.

27 September. The 43 prisons in the state of Maharashtra counted 2,061 inmates who have tested positive. 421 staff members are also infected.

25 September. The State of Madhya Pradesh counted approximately 1,000 prisoners who have tested positive.

23 September. Authorities reported 73 infected inmates in Luksar prison. Twenty-eight of them have recovered.

20 September. Authorities reported 73 inmates who tested positive in Sitarganj central prison in the State of Uttarakhand. A banquet hall was converted into a COVID-19 care centre for ill inmates.

22 September. Prison officials indicated that 2,012 inmates tested positive and six died in the State of Maharashtra prisons. Among these, 1,616 of them recovered. Yerawada central prison in Pune has identified 259 cases.

18 September. Officials reported 105 cases among inmates at Pilibhit prison in Uttar Pradesh. The prison intended for 802 persons was holding 946. Asymptomatic inmates were transferred to a quarantine quarter. The 19 inmates with symptoms were transferred to another facility. Two were released on bail.

14  September. Five inmates tested positive in Delhi prisons.

2  September. The government of Pendjab announced the release of 1400 untried prisoners at Amritsar prison. More releases are expected, but officials reported that there will also be new arrivals. 

4 September. The superintendent and 27 inmates at Muzaffarnagar prison tested positive. The number of cases rose to 390.

 27 August. The administration of Barmer prison in Jaisalmer announced that there were at least 126 cases among prisoners. These prisoners were transferred to a specialised medical centre.

19 August. The administration of Poojappura prison in the province of Kerala announced that 470 prisoners, nearly half of the total prison population at the facility, were infected. Twelve staff members also tested positive.

18 August. Maharashtra authorities stated that 1,043 prisoners and 302 members of the prison’s administration have tested positive since the beginning of the epidemic.

15 August. At least 200 prisoners at Thiruvananthapuram central prison tested positive.

14 August. Authorities at Srinagar central prison in Jammu and Kashmir announced 102 cases from a total of 480 tested prisoners.

11 August. At least 191 prisoners tested positive at Basti prison in the Uttar Pradesh province. Two prisons located in the town of Bareli reported the infection of 56 additional prisoners.

30 July. Authorities in the Odisha province announced that 96 prisoners were infected in 10 prisons. They added that 17 staff members from four prisons tested positive.

29 July. The Hindu and the PTI and ANI press agencies reported that at least 2 191 inmates around the country were infected with the virus.

24 July. More than 44% of the 984 inmates in the Guwahati Central prison (or 435 people) tested positive for the virus.

23 July The head of the prison in the district of Jhansin reported that 120 inmates and 14 staff tested positive for the virus.

21 July. Over 340 inmates tested positive at the Guwahati central prison. Student leader Sharjeel Imam tested positive at the Guwahati prison as he was about to be transferred to Delhi. The inspector general of prisons announced that his transfer had been suspended.

20 July. 18 prisoners tested positive after being transferred to the central prison of Cuddalore. They were placed in accommodation inDevanampattinam.

19 July. Among the 16 prisons in the State of Maharashtra, 643 prisoners and 208 members of staff tested positive. The State was the most affected by the virus.

17 July. The infection of the Indian activist Varavara Rao with COVID-19, while detained in a prison in the State of Maharashtra, caused indignation. His family complained that he had suffered medical negligence.

13 July. An official source announced that five inmates tested positive in the Yerawada prison and five others in the Osmanabad prison. It added that another inmate was COVID-19 positive in the Parbhani facility.

11 July. Social activist Akhil Gogoi tested positive while being held in the Guwahati central prison.

10 July. Maharshtra authorities announced that 596 inmates tested positive in the State’s prisons. They reported that almost 800 people had become ill including staff members. The Nagpur central prison had been most affected by the pandemic.
The head of the Akola prison indicated that 72 inmates and one staff member had been infected. The Ratnagiri prison reported that nine inmates and four staff members became infected.

The head of the Nagpur prison reported 132 new cases of COVID-19.

29 June. The management of Akola prison declared that 50 prisoners tested positive for the virus. The state of Maharashtra had a total of 360 positive cases among prisoners.

28 June. Mandoli prison announced the infection of fifty prisoners.

24 June. The management of Akola prison announced the infection of 18 prisoners.

21 June. The three prisons of Delhi - Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli - counted 23 inmates and 45 members of staff who tested positive for COVID-19.

15 June. An inmate died at Mandoli Jail. He afterwards tested positive for COVID-19.

16 June. Ten prisons in the state of Maharashtra reported that 292 prisoners and 72 members of staff were infected. The prison management added that 139 prisoners and 51 officers had already recovered.

10 June. A prison official reported that 14 staff members tested positive for coronavirus at the Harsul central prison.

6 June. A member of the administration indicated that 30 detainees had tested positive in the Harsul prison (Maharashtra province).

11 May. Authorities declared that 158 inmates had tested positive in the Arthur Road Jail (Mumbai).

7 May. The management of the central prison of Mumbai announced that a prisoner awaiting trial and two guards had been infected. The 150 people who had been in contact with them were tested.

One detainee tested positive at theAgra central prison. The management of the facility announced the quarantine of 14 other prisoners.

10 May. A prisoner tested positive at the Byculla prison. 

30 April. Authorities announced that the Nagpur central prison would be locked down and shut. The prison staff will be provided accommodation in the prison premise.
This was the eight prison to be locked down after the prisons of Mumbai, Thane, Yerwada, Byculla, Kalyan, Aurangabad and Nashik.

29 April. The management of Sabarmati prison in Ahmedabad announced two new positive cases. Both were transferred to the hospital.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

9 October. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Korean International Development Agency (KOICA) signed a protocol agreeing to help the authorities to limit the spread of the epidemic in Indonesian prisons. This assistance is intended to maintain the technical and material provisions for the establishments. The ICRC additionally aims to raise awareness about effective health practices, particularly among religious authorities.

12 July. A newly released political prisoner denounced, on Twitter, promiscuity in the Salemba prison, in Jakarta. He posted photos of overcrowded dormitories and corridors where inmates slept on the floor.

12 June. Police announced that four Papuan prisoners placed in solitary confinement on suspicion of COVID-19 infection escaped from the hospital in Bhayangkara.

26 May. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that it had distributed hygienic and protective equipment in 45 detention facilities in the provinces of Banten, West Java and Jakarta.

10 May. A member of the prison administration expressed concern about virus spread risks.
He pointed out that at the high-security prison of Cipinang, cells designed for five people were housing twenty. He added that all inmates and warders must wear a mask. According to him, daily disinfections were taking place and tests being performed, albeit limited.

24 March. The president demanded to apply the principle of social distancing. The Jakarta Post indicated that overcrowding in prisons made it very difficult to implement this practice. He specified that the only measure is the suspension of prisoners’ visits. The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform called on the government to release prisoners in order to reduce prison overcrowding.

18 March. The Minister of Justice and Human Rights announced a restriction on visits to the country’s 524 prisons and juvenile detention centers for people with symptoms characteristic of COVID-19. Detainees with the same symptoms will be cared for by medical services.

Judicial system¶

1 July. The trial of six Islamic militants was held virtually due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

29 April. Jail sentences of between eight and nine months were given to Papuan activists for “treason”. They had non-violently protested for the freedom of West Papua and to protest the racism towards indigenous Papuans.

Sentence adjustments¶

26 August. The director general of the prison administration reported that the country’s prisons are filled to 176 % of their total capacity despite measures put in place permitting conditional releases.

11 April. The administration announced that 115 people were released from the prison of Tuminting (Manado).
Minors who would have served half their sentence by next December would be released. Adults who would have served two thirds of their sentence by the same date would be released and would have to follow ”assimilation and reintegration” programs.

5 April. More than 30 000 people were released.

3 April. Administration announced the release of 30 detainees from the Wamena prison in West Papua.

2 April. The authorities officially announced the release of 18 000 prisoners.

1 April. The Minister of Justice and Human Rights announced that a total of 50 000 inmates were eligible for parole. This mesure concernes 15 442 prisoners who had served 5 to 10 years in prison for drug-related crimes, 1 457 convicted of “special crimes” suffering from chronic diseases, 300 prisoners over the age of 60 or having undergone a transplant, and 53 foreign prisoners having served two thirds of their sentence.

31 March. Jakarta announced the upcoming release of 30 000 detainees. The prison occupancy rate there averages 200%.

Acts of protest¶

12 April. A riot broke out in Tuminting prison in the north of Sulawesi province. Prisoners set fire to parts of the prison. The mutiny was the result of the suspension of visits and a rumor of a supervisor’s infection. Prisoners demanded tests and parole. Forty-one people were arrested.
Transfers were announced by the prison administration: 32 detainees were sent to Bitung prison, 34 were transferred to Tondano prison, 30 prisoners were placed in Amurang prison and 41 other people were to be detained at the provincial police headquarters. Manado prison had then 295 people detained.

Appeals and recommendations¶

12 June. The United Movement for the Liberation of West Papua indicated that the authorities had not followed UN recommendations calling for the release of political prisoners.

26 May. A government official requested that more alternative sentences be handed out to “curb the spread” of the virus in detention facilities. She specified that she condoned the introduction of measures enforcing house arrest.

3 May. Human Rights Watch called on Indonesian authorities to “immediately release” at least 70 Papuan and Moluccan political prisoners.
The organization added that “detaining them in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic could be deadly”.

Identified cases¶

9 November. Authorities reported 357 inmates tested positive in Pekanbaru prison.

25 October. Authorities reported 106 infected inmates in Kerobokan prison, in Bali. The facility was placed in quarantine, and no longer accepts new prisoners or visits. The prison houses 1,315 prisoners for a capacity of 350 places.

5  October. The Directorate General of Corrections reported that 124 inmates tested positive across the country. 

1 October. Pekanbaru women’s prison reported 28 cases among its inmates. A prison officer is thought to have brought in the virus. The prison warden was worried that they didn’t have the facilities needed to isolate a large number of infected people. 

26 September. Authorities confirmed the presence of 47 cases among inmates in Surabaya prison. These inmates were placed in solitary confinement.

26 August. Human Rights Watch reported that 120 inmates and 18 staff members contracted the virus in 17 prisons throughout the country. Seven deaths from COVID-19 were recorded.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

22 September. An inmate with pre-existing health conditions announced he will soon sue Osaka prison. The cells and work areas do not have any hand sanitizers and physical distancing is not respected. Inmates are not obliged to wear masks when moving about. Officials claimed that these measures are taken for security reasons.

12 June. Kyoto prison organised a drill in the event of a virus outbreak, after one prisoner showed signs of infection. The premises were disinfected and staff were provided with protective equipment.

4 May. The prison administration declared that it would task inmates in 41 prisons that have textile-processing facilities to make 1,200,000 medical gowns by the end of October. This measure involves, among others, the Yokohama, Fuchu and Osaka prisons.

21 April. The Minister of Justice considered that there could be a shortage of corrections officers in some prisons. He added that prisons lacked doctors who worked there on a permanent basis. Proximity, overcrowding and the lack of hygiene in prisons were also propitious to the spread of the virus.

5 April. The Minister of Justice requested that all the prisoners who had come into contact with the infected officers be placed in isolation. The officers in that situation were quarantined in their homes.

Judicial system¶

21 April. The Minister of Justice declared that trials and requests for conditional release could be postponed.

Sentence adjustments¶

21 April. The authorities announced that at least 20 prisoners held at Higashi-Nihon Immigration Centre had been temporarily released. They would only have to return to prison once the state of emergency was over.

Identified cases¶

21 April. A total of 10 prisoners tested positive in the prisons of Osaka, Tokyo andHokkaido. A corrections officer at a prison in Tsukigata also tested positive.

18 April. Authorities announced that seven corrections officers had been infected in the previous two weeks, three of whom worked at Osaka Detention House.

5 April. An officer at Osaka Detention House tested positive.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

14 September. Families of inmates and lawyers reported that prison conditions flout international standards, especially since the prison lockdowns. Inmates were not given masks or sanitizing products. There were 25 to a cell. Exercise periods and walks were banned in some facilities. Inmates were confined to their unclean cells, without fresh air and access to lights. Officials claimed they implemented all the proper health protocols. Eyewitnesses denied this.

Contact with the outside world¶

9 June. Visits to convicted prisoners were restricted until the lifting of confinement measures.

1 May. The National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) partly resumed its work via videoconferencing.

Acts of protest¶

2 June. A riot broke out in the prison of Atyrau. It was allegedly carried out by remand prisoners.

Identified cases¶

26 April. An inmate in a women’s prison colony was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

23 mars. The government declared a state of emergency and announced the adoption of “public life restriction” measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Judicial system ¶

  25 July. Human rights defender Azimjon Askarov died in detention. Authorities refused his multiple requests for release; the most recent one was made last May, in the context of the pandemic.

23 July. The Penitentiary Service introduced a measure giving access to prisons for lawyers who provide negative tests. This measure has no legal basis, and The National Centre for the Prevention of Torture concluded that it violates the right to defence. They formally called on the authorities to restore access.

Sentence adjustments¶

8 May. President Sooronbay Jeenbekov granted amnesty to nearly 3,000 prisoners. He signed a law to that effect, passed in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Second World War victory (Victory Day) and the 10th of the 2010 Revolution.

Contact with the outside world¶

1 May. The National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) partly resumed its work via videoconferencing.

30 April. The AFEW shared information on the virus with the prisoners via WhatsApp and by distributing brochures.

20 March. Prison visits were suspended.

Appeals and recommendations¶

25 April. The Coalition against Torture called for the adoption of an amnesty law.

23 mars. Human Rights Watch called for the release of political prisoners and human rights activists. The organisation requested the implementation of emergency measures to ensure the care and health measures needed to protect inmates and staff.

Identified cases¶

29 December. Officials announced that four inmates and three staff members died from COVID-19 over the year. They also claimed that no active cases had currently been recorded among prisoners.

26 November. Officials reported no cases in the country’s remand centres. Reports by human rights defenders as well as the Ombudsman called into question the reliability of official information. Cases of pneumonia, some of which are severe, have been identified. No epidemiological investigation has been carried out to identify the causes.

17 May. The State Penitentiary Service denied the information published by the Ministry of Health that four prison health workers contracted COVID-19.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

31 October. Officials announced the opening of a military hospital in Sungai Udang prison in Malaka. It was set up temporarily in anticipation of the results of testing of 300 inmates. The hospital will be able to admit 80 patients.

17 October. Officials set up a ”makeshift hospital” in the Pokok Sena prison in Kedash to treat infected inmates. It will be able to hold up to 250 patients.

2 June. The Ministry of Defense indicated that only the prisoners and members of the prison administration of Sungai Buloh prison were tested.

12 May. The administration stated that face masks and hand sanitisers were available for all prisoners and warders. Newcomers or suspected cases of contamination were quarantined in isolation blocks.

2 April. Prisoners at Pahang and Selangor prisons made protection equipment for medical staff. Working days extended to Saturday and Sunday, exceptionally “due to the emergency of the situation”.

18 March. The prison administration suspended prison visits. The communication service indicated that telephones were installed in detention. Prepaid cards were distributed to prisoners. Families could pay to provide prisoners with more talk time. The planned activities (religious lessons and teachings) continued to be provided.

Prison administration headquarters and members of management worked from home. The body temperature of staff directly in contact with prisoners was checked. Any reading above 38 °C led to the referral of the concerned person to health services.

Judicial system¶

19 October. The government introduced a new procedure to enable remand application and the extension for remand period through videoconferencing.

12 May. The prison administration’s general director asked the judiciary to stop jailing violators of physical restriction regulations to limit institution overcrowding.

29 April. A total of 21,000 people were arrested for violation of containment rules. Of these, 947 were charged and tried in court.

28 April. The training centres and academies of the Malaysian Police Departments were requisitioned in order to detain those who breached the Movement Control Order (MCO). “Thousands of people [were] being held there” according to the Bangkok Post. Many of them were serving sentences ranging from a few days to several months in prison. This decision aimed to limit prison overcrowding where the implementation of social distancing has become impossible.

Sentence adjustments¶

18 November. The authorities extended the lockdowns at Seberang Perai, Tawau, Sandakan and Taman Wira prisons until 2 December.

6 October. The director general of prisons announced the implementation of a plan for conditional release and bail for young offenders with sentences under one year. The decision was praised by members of the opposition and epidemiologists.

Contact with the outside world¶

13 November. Visits were suspended for the duration of Diwali. The administration declared that it was putting in place videoconferencing tools and prepaid telephone calls to ensure that family ties were maintained during the celebration.

12 October. Penang prison strictly limits entering and leaving the facility after discovering several cases among the prisoners. The authorities indicated in a statement that family and NGO visits are no longer allowed. Most activities have also been prohibited.

11 June. Visits were to resume on 15 June, by making an appointment online or by telephone beforehand.

18 March. The Malaysian prison administration suspended prison visits. Communications indicated that telephones were installed in prison. Prepaid cards were distributed to prisoners. Families can pay for inmates to have more calling time. Planned activities (religion classes and lessons) continue to be provided.
The prison administration and management of the headquarters are working remotely. The body temperature of staff directly in contact with inmates is being checked. Anyone with fever above 38°C is receiving health services.

Appeals and recommendations¶

4 December. A special senate panel recommended that the government initiate major prison reform. This should include measures to address overcrowding, hygiene and access to healthcare.

21 October. Two parliamentarians from Penang called for prison reforms to prevent the spread of the pandemic. They insisted on eliminating the current system which contributes to prison overcrowding. “*The current prison system focuses on punishment causing minor offenders to be incarcerated instead of being rehabilitated and leading to overcrowding in cells.“ They urged the Minister of the Interior to ”look into the problems at our prisons as this is not only putting the inmates at high risk of getting infected but also prison officers and their family members.”.

9 October. A member of parliament demanded a thorough reform for the prison system during the challenges of the pandemic. He proposed to reduce overcrowding by developing alternative penalties, especially for the elderly, and to review the severity of drug-related penalties. He requested to find alternatives for pre-trial detention, which currently concerns 35% of the prison population.

29 April. The Bar Council urged the courts to limit the number of prison sentences. The president of the Council stated that: “sending offenders to prison is a remedy worse than the illness”.

Identified cases¶

30 December. Bentong prison in Pahang recorded 282 new cases. This represents 98% new cases recorded in the district. Inmates, their families, and staff members had to go into quarantine. Officials also recorded 374 new cases in a prison in the state of Johor.

24 December. Officials declared that as of 3 November, a total of 1,160 inmates and 125 prison staff members have tested positive.

3 November. The vice-minister of the Interior declared that 1,156 inmates had tested positive in the country’s prisons.

25 October. The former Minister of Defense questioned the management of the epidemic within prisons. He particularly noted that 1,156 out of 2,160 prisoners tested positive at Sabah prison, in Kepayan.

24 October. Penang Prison recorded 446 positive cases among prisoners. In Jawi, 95.

22 October. Jawi prison recorded 92 inmates who tested positive, as well as three staff members. Checking people on arriving and leaving will be in force.

21 October. All inmates and staff of the Kepayan prison in Kota Kinabalu were tested. Officials expected at least 60% to be positive out of the 2,700 inmates incarcerated there.

20 October. Penang prison recorded 399 positive cases among its inmates. Two staff members were also infected.

19 October. D’Alor Setar prison in Kedah recorded a cluster of 1,571 cases among inmates and staff.

17 October. Penang prison recorded 271 positive cases including one death. Jawi prison had 28 positive cases.

11 October. Three new cases have been detected at ** Penang ** prison. The facility has 18 prisoners who have tested positive, including one death. The manager was pleased that no staff members have been infected.

7  October. Prisons around the country reported 1,126 positive cases among inmates and staff. Alor Setar prison had 394 cases. There is a plan to transfer inmates to camps normally used by the national service in order to slow down the spread of the pandemic.
The Health Ministry confirmed the death of an eighty-five year old inmate at Penang prison. 

3 September. The Health Minister reported that six inmates tested positive in the Tawau prison. They had contracted the virus at the Lahad Datu police station.

28 June. The authorities announced the infection of a prisoner in Sabah. Two other cases were identified at the Sepang facility.

2 June. The prison administration announced first detained person to be tested positive at the Sungai Buloh prison.

12 May. A spokesperson from the prison administration said that no case of infection had been identified among the 72,000 prisoners.

1 April. Families of prisoners at Sungai Buloh prison worried about a possible contagion inside.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

20 June. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) carried out 101 tests in the Malé prison, 24 of them on prisoners.

14 March. The prison administration announced cleaning and disinfection of cells, corridors, showers and common parts of the prison of Maafushi. Visits and the sending of clothing or personal belongings were suspended. The administration said they wanted to facilitate access to phone calls. Defendants with flu symptoms could not attend their hearing.

Identified cases¶

30 August. Health officials reported that 11 inmates tested positive at Hulhumalé prison.

20 June. A member of the administration tested positive with the virus while undergoing quarantine at the Malé prison. He remained in self-isolation.

16 May. Prisoners and only prison staff at the Asseyri prison were tested at random. Many tests were performed at the prison of Maafushi. All results were negative.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

30 March. The penal administration has decided to reduce to only one person the number of authorized visitors during visiting days.

28 March. The minister of domestic affairs announced the supply of material needed for handwashing at visitors’ arrival to fight against COVID-19 virus spread. Prison staff members must take their temperature before and after each visit. The administration is also requiring serving peppered water—deemed prophylactic—to inmates and to disinfect each building daily. An inmate at the Insein prison stated that inmates sleep clung together even on the floor. There several hundred in only one room. Another pointed out that the only protective measure taken is the hanging up of briefing posters.

26 February. The prison administration announced the implementation of an awareness campaign on the risks of spreading of the coronavirus. It stated that it would monitor the temperature of detainees and visitors in the 90 prisons in the country.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocates providing prisoners with the necessary medical equipment.

Judicial system¶

28 May. Many individuals arrested for violating curfew were not able to pay the fine, which was prohibitive. They were forced, despite the health concerns, to spend a month in prison.

28 May. All individuals violating the curfew would face a month in prison or a 50,000 kyats fine. An official in the town of Myawaddy declared: “Every night we arrest between 20 and 30, even after the curfew has been reduced. The problem is that now the prison is full”

Appeals and recommendations¶

17 April. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners stated that only 12 of the 76 political prisoners had been released.

3 April. Human Rights Watch called authorities to immediately move to limit the spread of the coronavirus in prisons. It described the efforts previously made by the Home Affairs Ministry as “severely inadequate”. The human rights organization suggested considering alternatives to detention and release, in particular for people “at a higher health risk” or arbitrarily detained.

18 March. The association in support of political prisoners called for the government to carry out house arrests on their behalf, especially of those awaiting trial.

Sentence adjustments¶

21  April. The United Nations announced the release of 886  Rohingya men, women and children. Rakhine State set up quarantine zones where those released would remain for 21 days.

17 April. The director of the prison authorities announced the release of nearly 25,000 prisoners, or about a quarter of the total prison population. He added that 87 foreigners were included in that amnesty.

8  April. A country court dropped charges against close to 200  Rohingya who were accused by Burmese authorities of fleeing Rakhine State.

Contact with the outside world¶

23 October. Prison visits have been suspended.

Identified cases¶

30 October. Maubin prison reported 106 cases among inmates and staff.

29 October. Pathein Prison, in Ayeyarwady counted 104 people infected among prisoners and staff. Earlier this month, 157 prisoners tested positive at Tharyarwady prison in the region of Bago.

26 October. **The Pyinmana ** Police Station, at Nay Pyi Taw counted 23 positive cases.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

10 October. No health personnel have intervened at Tanahun prison for more than ’one year. The prison staff complained about the difficulties in providing prisoners with adequate care. The slightest health problem requires a hospital transfer

17 September. Siraha prison holds 599 in a facility with a capacity of 150. There is no more space and there are no basic facilities (taps, latrines).

13 August. The administration of Nepalganj prison announced the opening of quarantine cells for infected prisoners. In order to do this, several prisoners were transferred to the Dailekh and Bardiya prisons.

27 July. In response to the 23 July petition, the Court at Nepalganj ordered that testing be performed on all staff, new inmates, minors, and all other inmates, starting with the most vulnerable. Various preventative measures were ordered.

17 July. Some human rights activists visited theBanke prison following the detection of a case of COVID-19. An officer requested the option to test the 50 to 60 prisoners who had been in contact with the infected prisoner. The Banke prison held then 777 prisoners with a total capacity of only 300 spaces.

June. The young offenders’ centres were overcrowded and saw their numbers increasing. The medical provisions in these centres deteriorated since the onset of the pandemic. No medical exams were carried out, doctors were no longer completing regular checks.
Masks and hygiene products were handed out to minors in some of the centres. The offenders nevertheless lacked disinfectant gel and gloves to ensure their protection.

8 June. All new inmates would reportedly be tested when they would enter prison. This was not the case for those who arrived before the onset of the pandemic.

8 June. Overcrowding, on the rise during the pandemic, raised concerns of a high risk of contagion in prison. Guards had no tests or protective kits.

16 March. Visits were restricted and beds were prepared to isolate sick persons. These measures aimed to prevent the spread of the epidemic in the 74 penal establishments of the country. Overcrowding in these establishments reached more than 150%.

Judicial system¶

June. The lockdown period was considered as an abuse of power by security forces, according to the Advocacy Forum. The organisation noted the increase of illegal detentions, physical attacks and inhuman and degrading treatments.

16 June. Advocacy Forum documented a significant number of cases of excessive use of force, torture or ill-treatment against those violating confinement for imperative reasons.

13 June. Authorities arrested 10 people following a demonstration challenging the management of the health crisis. They officially faced up to six months in prison.

8 June. “Hundreds of new inmates were incarcerated” since the lockdown started at the end of Marchn a staff member of the Sundhara central prison said. There was concern that overcrowding in the country’s prisons could lead to a serious spread of the virus.

Sentence adjustments¶

18 September. The president granted pardon to 290 inmates upon recommendation from the Ministers.

1 September. The director general of the prison administration indicated that 70 % of inmates are not eligible for release because of the seriousness of their crimes.

16 June. Advocacy Forum’s lawyers helped prisoners file applications for early release. Many applications were denied by judges despite Supreme Court directives encouraging the use of alternative sentences.

May. The Courts agreed to release 216 detainees out of a total of 430 release requests, according to an Advocacy Forum report. Two hundred and twenty-eight minors were also released.

30 March. The Attorney General’s Office requested the Supreme Court to review the conditions of release for persons imprisoned for “minor” offences. Legal provisions were put into place to allow the suspension of sentences imposed on minors. A parliamentary instruction to the government was given to reduce prison population.

20 March. The Supreme Court ordered the release of minors held in correctional facilities. It also demanded for those sentenced to one year in prison or less to be released.

22 April. Prison administration indicated that 409 inmates were released for supposedly minor offences, out of a total of 418 requests for early parole.

Contact with the outside world¶

2 July. The Kathmandu Post reported that the social isolation caused by the lack of visitors could lead to “greater mental stress for inmates. Some experts believed that it could lead to an increase in suicide attempts.

June. No visitors had been able to visit the young offenders’ institute since the beginning of the pandemic.

Appeals and recommendations¶

19 October. The National Human Rights Commission submitted recommendations to the government for the implementation of prison reforms in order to protect inmates from the pandemic. It recommended a massive purchase of health protection equipment, as well as the development of infrastructures to allow people to be physically distant.

30 July. The Advocacy Forum expressed concern over the deteriorating health of a young social activist who had been on an “unlimited hunger strike” for the previous 13 days. He was demanding that several measures be implemented to prevent the spread of the virus.

23 July. The Advocacy Forum and other human rights organisations presented a petition to the Nepalganj Court. They demanded respect for the right to life, the right to protection from infectious diseases, the right to legal counsel, as well as the right for all inmates to be tested. The petition recommended that detainees be given protective equipment and be routinely tested before going on trial, incarcerated or placed in youth correction centres.

28 March. The Advocacy Forum expressed its “serious concern” on the situation of detainees and prisoners. It requested that the government classify prisoners who could be released. It also urged the government to sanitize and disinfect the prisons and provide detainees with the necessary personal protection equipment and make provisions for isolation rooms for those showing symptoms of infection. The Forum highlighted the immediate necessity to cancel prison visits.

Identified cases¶

23  September. One inmate from Katmandu central prison arrived dead at hospital. Authorities confirmed this was the sixth death in a month due to COVID-19 in the prison population. This latest death raised questions about detention conditions and the treatment of inmates during the pandemic across the country. 

17 September. Almost all inmates at Siraha prison were infected. In fact, 509 of the 599 inmates in the facility with a capacity of 150 places tested positive. The entire prison had to be converted into a quarantine facility.

12 September. The country counted 231 inmates tested positive for COVID-19. The prison in the district of Siraha had 86 cases, Sundharahad 65 cases and the one in Sunsari had 11 cases. As a result of this increased number of cases, the Supreme Court ordered officials to provide treatment and to release persons at risk.

1 September. Officials reported more than 111 inmates and 85 guards tested positive.

1 September. In total, 102 inmates and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at Katmandu central prison.

4 July. A prisoner detained in the Banke prison who tested positive was admitted to the hospital of Bheri. He was subsequently returned to prison and placed in self-isolation. One of the officers responsible for his supervision also tested positive. They were both placed in the quarantine centre of Khajura.

June. No cases were recorded within the youth detention centres (Child Correction Homes, CCH).

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

26 November. Prison officials have set up isolation wards in Karachi Central Jail. Officials also started to distribute masks and sanitizers to inmates.

27 July. Prison authorities at Sindh launched the first mass testing program for prisoners.

16 June. The prisoners had neither masks nor alcoholic hand sanitiser at their disposal to protect themselves from the virus.

13 March. The High Court of Sindh ordered the authorities to conduct fumigations in prisons to control the spread of COVID-19. It also required medical examination of all prisoners. The deadline shall be one week after Monday 16 March.
The government announced that it would suspend visits for three months. The President of the Supreme Court requested the suspension of all civil court proceedings and trials for the next three weeks.

17 March. The Inspector General of Prisons visited the Lahore district jail. Prisoners and staff members are questioned about the hygiene measures put in place. The Inspector General underlines the recommendations to be followed such as the use of disinfectants, the complete medical examination of all persons entering the prison, and the frequent cleaning of cells and prisoners’ belongings.

19 March. Human Rights Watch calleds on the Pakistani authorities to ensure that detainees have access to medical care and to guarantee that measures to combat COVID-19 are effectively put in place. It warns of the state of Pakistan’s prisons, which are overcrowded, unhealthy and conducive to the spread of viral diseases. The organisation recommends the early release of those with the lowest security risks and those detained pending trial. It recalls that prisoners must enjoy their right to health and access to health care on an equal footing.

Sentence adjustments¶

2 September. The Prime Minister ordered the release of all female inmates over age 55 and those who are physically or mentally ill. A plan to release juvenile inmates was also announced.

14 April. The airline Flydubai repatriated 400 Pakistani prisoners detained in the UAE for crimes considered “minor offences”.

30 March. The Sindh government approved the release for 3 months of thousands of convicted people.

Prisoners convicted of so-called “minor” offences were released. Released prisoners who were unable to pay fines would be financially compensated for by the government. Those convicted of crimes related to terrorism or drugs were not concerned with this provision.

28 March. The Punjab government decided to release 20 000 prisoners out of a total of 41 000 people imprisoned in this province. Release on bail mainly targeted prisoners sentenced to less than 7 years in prison, those over the age of 60 or those convicted of “minor offences”. The High Court of Islamabad decided on the release on bail of 1 362 prisoners accused of so-called minor offences.

Appeals and recommendations¶

12 December. Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) and Amnesty International published a report about overcrowding in the country’s prisons. The organisations describe prison conditions as “dangerous” and have called on the authorities to urgently release so-called vulnerable persons.

6  May. Amnesty International asked authorities to be transparent in the communication of the number of tests performed inside prisons and the number of positive cases. 

24 March. Amnesty International and Justice Project Pakistan called for the country’s authorities to “take measures needed for the protection of prisoners.” Recommended instructions such as social distancing or handwashing are hard to observe considering confinement conditions. The amount of detained individuals in prisons is 77 000 for an average occupancy rate higher than 130%. The amount of beds is insufficient, cell ventilation is defective, access to healthcare and hygienic products is very limited. Both organizations recommended the release of the most vulnerable prisoners and people awaiting trial. The Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan added that, if nothing is done, prisons and Pakistani detention places “will become the epicenters of COVID-19 virus spread.“

Identified cases¶

21 December. The number of cases in the prisons of the Sindh region, have exploded. Karachi central prison reported 295 cases, 207 of them being inmates, which is ten times more than at the beginning of the month. The region’s prisons are particularly overcrowded. Officials ordered newly arrived prisoners to quarantine for 14 days, and masks and sanitizers were being distributed to inmates. Releases are also expected.

4 December. Authorities identified 1,638 cases among inmates in prisons throughout the province of Sindh, including 1,124 in the central prison of Karachi; 112 staff members have tested positive.

5 July. The health authorities of Sindh announced that 1 196 prisoners had been infected since the beginning of the pandemic in the 19 prisons of the province. The Karachi prison was the most affected with 905 prisoners infected.

16 June. The joint director of the Bannu prison tested positive.

23 May. A source inside the Karachi central prison reported that there were over 300 detainees contaminated by COVID-19.

19 May. A total of 212 prisoners tested positive at the central jail of Karachi among 370 tests.

6 April. The authorities announced that 49 prisoners at the Camp Jail prison in the east side of the country tested positive for the coronavirus. ”The part of the prison where the first prisoner tested positive lived, was confined, the prisoners there were placed in quarantine. The area has been sprayed with chlorine to get rid of the virus” said an employee of the prison’s administration communications department.

24 March. The first case of COVID-19 infection in prison was detected in Camp Jail, in Lahore District. Hundreds of people imprisoned for misdemeanors were released the same day, on parole.

**For further information, visit the information page run by Justice Project Pakistan

Sentence adjustments¶

8 December. The president pardoned or eased the sentences of 104 people. Earlier this year he had pardoned over 500 people due to various state or religious holidays.

Acts of protest¶

5 August. Two prisoners escaped from the prisons of the Zangiata district attempted to enter Kyrgyzstan. They were arrested by the border police and by agents of the Kyrgyz Ministry of the interior.

Identified cases¶

12 August. Local human rights organisations reported some one hundred cases among inmates in the No. °10** prison of the Kashkadarya region. They also denounced the prison conditions and inmate isolation. Authorities have not provided any official information on the number of infected people.

About 70 people, inmates and prison staff, were placed in quarantine after suspected infections in Karaulbazar prison, in the Boukhara region.

Tashtyurma prison in the district of Zangiata was also placed under quarantine after a possible infection of seven inmates.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

21 July. The authorities indicated that nine prisoners detained in high security conditions had died following complications linked to COVID-19 at the New Bilibid prison. No autopsies were carried out and the warden refused to identify those concerned.

22 June. An “old man”, a jail-aide and a “convict” described their daily life during a pandemic for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). Their story ended with these words: “We’re humans too”

23 May. An establishment dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients opened in the Batangas province. Several rooms, in a separate wing, was reserved for sick inmates: 20 for men and 20 for women. Fifteen agents were hired to ensure the building security.

4 May. The prison administration placed the New Bilibid Prison under lockdown. Movement has been restricted for people and cars.

21 April. The Mandaluyong women’s prison announced the quarantine of inmates and prison staff who had been in contact with the sick. Extra medical staff was hired to handle sanitary needs.

17 April. Authorities said that 30 prisoners held in Quezon City prison showed symptoms. The prisoners lived in such close proximity that they had to take it in turns to sleep on the stairs or the open-air basketball court.

11 March. The central prison administration suspended visits. This closure concerned 42 prisons in the capital region, Manila. Exceptions were made for those bringing food, for teachers and lawyers.

Judicial system¶

7 April. The authorities had arrested over 20,000 people since mid-March for violating curfew. They risked a fine of over 100,000 pesos as well as a 6-month prison sentence. The incarceration rate of the country stood at 391%.

Sentence adjustments¶

5 November. The Supreme Court refused to grant bail during the pandemic, a decision which was highly criticized by academics.

23 October. the Judge Diosdado Peralta declared that 81,888 prisoners have been granted early release since the beginning of the pandemic. Overcrowding remains rampant; New Bilibid prison, with a capacity for 6,435 people, houses 28,885 inmates.

2 July The prison administration announced to have released 15,322 prisoners between March and June to limit the spread of the virus.

15 May. The Supreme Court released 18,355 people, most of which were being held in police cells.

2 May. According to an official, the Supreme Court has released 9,731 inmates between 17 March and April 29. Among those released were prisoners awaiting trial, sentenced to jail for six months or below, and some qualified elderly and ailing inmates.

Contact with the outside world¶

24 December. Visits to New Bilibid prison are allowed from December 25 to January 1, for the end of the year holiday period. These are limited to the spouse, if the prisoner is married, and to a close family member if they are single. Visitors are required to bring a medical certificate proving that they have no symptoms.

Appeals and recommendations¶

5 November. Legal experts called on the Supreme Court to “get real” about the seriousness of the situation on the ground and grant bail. ”I don’t understand what part of urgent or humanitarian or pandemic the Supreme Court doesn’t understand”, said a constitutional law professor.

1 October. Organisations and inmate’s families denounced the lack of transparency around the health status of inmates and the inability to contact them. The systemic overcrowding of the country’s prisons is only increasing their concerns. Some eyewitnesses reported that a lack of health supplies and the absence of physical distancing in prisons is contributing to the pandemic. 

21 July. The Bar announced that it would hold the prison officers to account for the death of the nine prisoners at the New Bilibid prison.

25 May. KAPATID, a support group formed by the relatives and friends of political prisoners, demanded transparency from prison authorities in their reporting on the number of infected prisoners.

16 May. The Human Rights Commission urged the government to improve detention conditions in the country’s prisons.

6 April. Human Rights Watch called for the authorities to release persons imprisoned or sentenced for offences that were non-violent or considered minor. The organisation added that the release of elderly and ill persons should also be considered.

1 April. Senator Leila De Lima, herself imprisoned in the establishment of Quezon, called for “systematic and massive release” of prisoners. She suggested, in priority, releasing sick or disabled prisoners, those awaiting trial for “minor” offences and those convicted of “minor non-violent” offences.

24 March. The international committee of the Red Cross made a comparison between the previous epidemics of tuberculosis in the country’s prisons and the current spread of coronavirus. Tuberculosis was 100 times more common in places of detention than outside it. The ICRC reminded that the conditions of overcrowding, insufficient care and the unsanitary conditions of prison facilities made prisons centers of transmission.

18 March. Two professors of medicine and criminology called for the administration to conditionally release prisoners considered “non-violent” as presenting a “low security risk”. They considered that keeping all the current prisoners in the country’s prisons would be “the equivalent of a death penalty”.

Identified cases¶

27 December. Two people passed away and 131 people contracted the virus since March at Mandaluyong women’s prison near Manilla, according to the city mayor.

30 November. Officials reported 76 cases inside Davao prison, 68 of whom are inmates. About fifteen of them have underlying health issues and are being closely monitored. A hundred-bed quarantine unit was set up in the prison.

6 November. Authorities reported 52 new inmates who have tested positive at Bilibid prison.

30 October One of the inmates at Pampanga prison died from COVID -19. She had shared her cell with 124 others. The prison was placed in lockdown.

14 October. Officials revealed that 46 inmates tested positive in Laoang prison at Samar. Twelve staff members were also infected.

13 June. A number of prisoners were suspected to have died following health complications linked to COVID-19 over the course of May. The New Bilibid prison authorities took over a week to inform the prisoners affected that they had tested positive.

4 May. The Bureau of Corrections reported that three prisoners had died from COVID-19.
It said that there were 53 confirmed cases in its system at the time of posting, including three employees and 47 women at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.

2 May. Al Jazeera reported that 348 detainees were infected in two prisons on the central island of Cebu.

22 April. The administration announced the infection of 123 inmates at the Cebu prison. The city’s mayor indicated that a new building with a 3,000-spot capacity would be requisitioned as an isolation zone.

21 April. At least 18 inmates and one staff member at the Mandaluyong women’s prison were infected. The Philippine Red Cross carried out the tests. The inmates were apparently asymptomatic.

18 April. An inmate from theCebu Prison died from the COVID-19.

17 April. Authorities announced that nine guards and nine prisoners had tested positive for COVID 19 in a prison in Manila. The guards were quarantined in their homes while the prisoners were placed in solitary confinement.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

14 April. The authorities announced the distribution of a reusable mask to each of the 11,000 people held in the country. They added that prisoners who would not “feel well” would have to wear a mask and be immediately separated from the rest of the prison. The temperature of all prisoners would be read twice a day. Similar surveys would be carried out at the entrance to the prisons. All persons newly detained in prison would be placed in the quarantine zone for a period of 14 days. Staff directly in contact with prisoners received protective equipment such as masks and gloves. Social distancing measures were put in place especially during walks. Religious activities were adapted with the broadcasting of videos and the distribution of books to prisoners who wish to do so.

Judicial system¶

24 April. The courts announced the postponement of hearings of cases not considered “essential or urgent”. They stated that the use of video for court proceedings would continue to grow.

Contact with the outside world¶

5 August. A Sri Lankan man who tested positive at Changi prison is still waiting for repatriation after the expiration of his stay.

7  April. All programs and activities planned with outside contributors were canceled. Prisoner visits were canceled from 7 April until 4 May. The administration announced that it was working on improving the telephone service and specified that detainees could still send and receive letters and emails.

Identified cases¶

20 June. A Sri Lankan inmate from Changi prison tested positive for the virus. He had been sentenced to four weeks in prison in early June for visa invalidity.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

9 December. The authorities announced the establishment of a treatment centre for prisoners inJaffna, Kandakadu and Gallella. These facilities will be guarded by the army.

11 November. Welikada prison in Colombo received complaints about access to medical care in the prison. Insufficient medical staff and the lack of materials were particularly denounced. The prison does not have the facilities to quarantine infected inmates. It is housing 4,500 inmates in an area meant for 2,000 people. The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners said the situation was very tense and there was potential for rioting.

10 November. The International Red Cross Committee donated personal hygiene and sanitizing products to the country’s prisons. These consist of masks, bleach, soap and other hygiene articles for inmates and staff. The organisation also provided material to make re-usable masks for inmates. More than 30,000 re-usable masks were made.

13 July. The State of South Australia allowed a limited resumption of family visits to prisons. Numerous preventive measures were applied, including limiting the number of visitors; taking visitors’ temperatures; a mandatory distance of 1.5 metres between prisoner and visitor; and interviews limited to 45 minutes.

12 July. Prison administration announced that it had suspended prisoner transfers “with immediate effect “.

8 July. The authorities announced the quarantine of inmates at Kandakadu prison in Polonnaruwa district in which the prisoner who tested positive in Welikada was held.

6 July. More than 500 inmates from Welikada prison were tested. The 210 results obtained were negative.

2 June. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union handed out protection equipment and disinfectant in the prisons of the country.

Sentence adjustments¶

8 December. The Minister of Justice announced that around 6,000 prisoners were released between October and December. These measures reduced the total number of prisoners to 26,364.
7 December. The minister in charge of prison management announced the release of 8,000 people between now and 31 December due to the increase in the number of cases in the country’s prisons.

30 November. Officials started an early release program for 606 inmates with minor offences.

9  April. The Attorney General announced the release exclusion of those arrested for possession of more than two grams of heroin, those accused of drug trafficking, those accused of money laundering or any other so-called “serious” crime. He added that people addicted to drugs or repeat offenders were also not eligible.

5 April. The special committee appointed by the President recommended and obtained the release of 2,961 prisoners gradually released from 17 March until 4 April. The released prisoners had either been serving long period and suffered from health issues, were minor offenders and unable to post bail, or had served a greater part of their sentence.

Contact with the outside world¶

5 November. The International Red Cross Committee launched up a project for online interactions in the country’s prisons, which will allow inmates to remain in contact with loved ones since visits have been banned.

5  October. The Commissioner General of Prisons declared that prison visits were suspended until further notice.

8 July. The authorities again suspended visits to prisoners.

24 June. The prison management of Magazine Prison in Colombo seized 14 cell phones.

16 June. Phone jamming devices were installed at certain prisons in the country in order to prevent the unauthorised use of mobile phones.

2 June. Computers were provided by the United Nations and the European Union to ensure trials could continue.

20 March. The decision to ban visits was made. Visitors are no longer allowed to bring home-cooked food to their inmate relatives.

13 March. Prison authorities limited visits to prisoners to a single visitor during visit hours.

Appeals and recommendations ¶

  24 August. The Prime Minister expressed his concerns about the 46 children living in prison with their mothers across the country. He asked the minister in charge to consider their release to “ensure their protection”.

Acts of protest¶

12 December. An investigation led by a former judge concluded that the demonstration at Mahara prison was organised by inmates who feared getting exposed to the virus inside the facility. This conclusion differs from government claims in that it was due to drugs or political maneuvering. The investigation indicated that the demonstration turned into a riot because of a clash between enemy inmates.

8 December. The committee investigating the Mahara riot recommended the release of prisoners suffering from addiction and the modernisation of the institution’s infrastructures. The committee acknowledges that overcrowding and dilapidation may have contributed to the unrest.

4 December. One hundred and seventeen imprisoned people were still hospitalized following the riots of Mahara, several of them in critical condition. The government was stepping up the presence of armed forces inside and outside the facility. Opponents called on the authorities’ explanations of the causes of the unrest false: a minister would have blamed the riots on the ingestion of a pill increasing violence and the “desire for blood” as well as a desire to discredit the government. The Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists denied these claims “without a rational basis.” Opponents said the government wanted to destroy evidence of disproportionate use of force by cremating the bodies.

3 December. The Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) qualified the repression of the riot of Mahara of “massacre”. It reported a number of deaths higher than that announced by the authorities.

2 December. The Human Rights Commission issued recommendations following the riot in Mahara’s prison. It deplored the “unnecessary” difficulties in accessing the establishment and staff. The Commission suggested an immediate reduction in the prison population. It called, among other things, for improved care, better transparency and improved staff training.

1 December. The toll of the riots at ** Mahara ** prison [happening](Sri Lanka to release hundreds of inmates as death toll from prison riot rises | News | DW | 01.12.2020) to 11 deaths.

30 November. Mahara prison inmates (Colombo) are worried about the upsurge in the number of cases. They asked for better health conditions and early releases. Guards opened fire to quell the situation. The repression left at least eight dead and 59 injured prisoners. Amnesty international called for a thorough and impartial inquiry on the circumstances surrounding the deaths. According to the organization, this is the third incident of this kind since the beginning of the pandemic.

18 November. The resurging number of cases and limited family visits within the country’s prisons have increased tensions. A group of five inmates tried to escape the old Bogambara prison being used as a transit centre for inmates who have been exposed to the virus. One died, and another one was taken to hospital.

Several protests were staged in Welikada prison. One of them occurred in the women’s unit after 25 of the inmates tested positive. Another protest was held to denounce the inadequate meals. Inmates are no longer allowed to receive parcels from their families.

12 November. A protest on the roof of the old Bogambara prison in Kandy was initiated by a group of inmates. They asked to be tested or transferred after discovering some 30 cases within the facility. Bogambara prison was converted into a quarantine centre. More than 800 prisoners have been accommodated there.

3 May. Prison guards foiled an attempt to escape from the Mahara penitentiary. The police announced the death of a prisoner among the seven who tried to escape. According to a representative, two guards were also wounded.

21 March. Protests erupted at the Anuradhapuraprison in the north of the country. Lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa said that, “contrary to rumours […] no one has tested positive at [that] prison”. No inmates escaped the prison during the incident. Two prisoners were killed by guards and six others were injured. Prisons are severely overcrowded, sometimes housing 5,000 inmates in facilities capable of holding only 800.

Identified cases¶

19 December. Colombo reported a total of 3,258 positive cases among inmates in the following local prisons: Welikada (800), Magazine (796), Mahara (658) and the Colombo remand centre (358). Some 114 staff members were also infected.

6 December. The prison of the country counted 1,960 cases among the inmates and 91 among the personnel.

2 December. Colombo prisons reported 1,188 positive cases, among its various facilities in the cities of: Welikada (452), Mahara (198), Bogambara (199), Colombo Remand Prison (157), Magazine (46) and Kuriwita (32). These numbers include some fifty guards. At least two have died.

27 November Officials reported 77 cases at Boosa prison, 50 of whom are inmates.

24 November. The Commissioner General of Prisons reported that cases across the country’s prison had risen to 717 following the detection of 35 new cases in Colombo prisons.

23 November. An 82-year-old inmate from Mahara prison died The PCR conducted following the death of the inmate, tested positive.

17 November. The government identified 426 positive cases among the country’s prison population. Twelve prison officers were carriers of COVID-19.

11 November. Bogambara prison in Kandy reported 43 positive inmates.

9 November. The Commissioner General of Prisons reported that 107 inmates had tested positive around the country. Welikada prison had 99 cases. Seven cases were also reported in Old Bogambara prison. One case was detected in Matara prison.

5 November. Six inmates and a prison officer contracted the virus at Welikada prison in Colombo.

11  September. Kandakadu prison reported 528 cases among inmates, and 67 among staff members. 

12 July. The administration indicated that 444 inmates in the Welikada prison tested positive.

6 July A prisoner tested positive for coronavirus in Welikada prison, the largest prison in the country.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

31 March. Special measures were taken, such as the distribution of masks and thermometers to inmates and warders.
Everyone who would come to a penitentiary must first disinfect his or her hands with an antiseptic product. A special quarantine unit—where sick prisoners would stay for 14 days was created at each detention center for inmates awaiting trial.
The administration also conducted an educational campaign for the prisoners.

Judiciary system¶

10 June. The parliament voted in a law allowing police to hand out fines or arrest people who were not wearing masks in public spaces. Repeat offenders would risk a sentence of up to ten years in prison.

Contact with the outside world¶

16 November. Visits have been allowed after seven months of restriction. However, family access to the prison is subject to the presentation of a negative test result within 24 hours prior to the visit.

17  September. Visits remained suspended for the sixth consecutive month. Authorities did not indicate a date when they would resume. Visits will be possible “as soon as conditions in the country improve“. 

 7 August. Prisoner visitations remain suspended and have been since the end of March. An article reported that calls between prisoners and their relatives had been authorised.

All prisoner visits were temporarily suspended.

Identified cases¶

7 August. The Asia Plus news agency claimed that 11 prisoners and three staff members have passed away since March. Medical sources indicated that these people between 50 to 70 years of age died of pneumonia. The prison administration confirmed that no significant symptoms of COVID-19 or cases of pneumonia have been recorded in prisons nationwide.

12 June. Asia-Plus reported 11 prisoners and 3 staff members died in “unclear” circumstances. The administration indicated that pneumonia was the cause.

28 April. At least two political prisoners reported having become ill, with symptoms of respiratory illness

20 April. A number of prisoners showed symptoms of a fever. The prison administration explained that they had broken their fast by drinking “water that was too cold”.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

11 March. Prisoners can, if they volunteer, sew masks to help address the COVID-19 outbreak. This program has been in place since mid-February 2020. They are given a “small wage”. A prison official in Taipei says the prisoners produce 1,000 masks a day.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

11 May. The Ministry of Public Health implemented prevention measures. New entrants pass through a quarantined area where they are kept in place for 14 days. They are then taken to a symptom-observation area for two to three months. If inmates show no symptoms, they may then join other inmates in the main prison area. The prison administration declared that hand sanitisers had been made available to inmates. It added that prison officers were being systematically tested for fever before entering the prison.

15 April. Some 458 people imprisoned for violating the emergency decree were tested at the Pathum Thani prison. Those manifesting symptoms were placed in individual quarantine cells. A prisoner who showed symptoms of COVID-19, since incarcerated in the Betong prison, tested negative.
The sick inmates at the Pattani prison were also tested after they were placed in quarantine.

Sentence adjustments¶

5 December. The King [pardoned](Thai king pardons, issues amnesty to tens of thousands in prison | Thailand News | Al Jazeera) more than 30,000 people in a decree taken on the eve of his predecessor’s birthday. He also reduced the sentences of over 200,000 imprisoned people.

25 May. The Director General of the prison administration’s Department of Probation declared that 2,276 people who had been arrested and sentenced for breaking confinement rules would face alternative sentences.

15 April. The Department of Corrections suspended jail sentences for more than 8,000 inmates. The measure envisaged both suspended sentences and cutting prison terms. The individuals detained for “minor offences” or exhibiting “good behaviour” were qualified for consideration.

Contact with the outside world¶

21 May. The Corrections Department announced that prison visits would resume after 1 June. Their conditions were still to be determined.

20 May. The prison administration announced the resumption of visits as of 1 June, subject to the implementation of precautionary measures in each prison.

11 May. The administration announced that activities that would have prisoners leave the prison premises were postponed or cancelled, with the exceptions of serious needs for hospitalisation and obligatory court hearings. It added that its e-visiting programme was available to allow inmates to contact their families.

18 March. The prison administration ordered the suspension of all family visits from 18 to 31 March 2020. Families are still allowed to deposit money and food. The authorities stated that no detained person has tested positive for COVID-19.

Acts of protest¶

4 May. Four out of the five inmates who escaped the prison of Sawang Daen Din were arrested once again.

1 May. The administration announced the escape of five inmates from the prison of Sawang Daen Din after having been placed in quarantine cells.

30 March. Authorities announced the opening of an investigation of the Buriram prison, following riots there. All 2,106 inmates were transferred to 18 other facilities in the north-east of the country.

29 March. Dozens of prisoners initiated a riot in Buriram prison, after rumors of contamination spread. Several inmates escaped, seven of which were apprehended.

Appeals and recommendations¶

23 April. Amnesty International denounced the increased repression of online opposition towards the measures linked to the epidemic. Those arrested would face up to five years in prison.

30 March. Human Rights Watch summoned authorities to adopt “concrete measures” to guarantee access to health care and medical protection for prisoners. The Asia region director of the organization added that “authorities did not need the occurrence of any riots to consider reducing prison population“, notably through the conditional release of people imprisoned for so-called offences, like minors or prisoners suffering from illnesses.

Identified cases¶

3 September. Officials identified a positive inmate at Khlong Prem prison. It was the first case reported in the kingdom in 100 days.

13 April. Two prisoners and one prison officer tested positive and were undergoing treatment. The name of their prisons was not made public.

01 April. Prison Director of Nakhon Nayok tested positive for coronavirus.

30 March. Among the 1,524 cases of COVID-19 infection officially registered in the country, at least 2 cases of prisoners were identified.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

16 October. Sources familiar with the prison, reported that a “quarantine unit” had been set up to isolate more than 200 persons, some of whom were in serious condition. Medical examinations revealed that some one hundred inmates had damaged lungs due to an infection. This has not been officially confirmed by prison officials.

18 August. The country’s prisons were not equipped to deal with the pandemic, that authorities still don’t recognise. Inmates and staff members had no personal protective equipment or testing, and the prisons did not receive any of the humanitarian aid provided by the United States and WHO. Overcrowding continued to be a problem and some prisons surpassed their capacity by 400%. The MR-K/17 prison, built for 200 people, was holding 820. Many inmate deaths were caused by pneumonia, and their families were unable to claim the bodies. Some were able to do so by bribing the prison staff.

8 June Recently pardoned inmates indicated that prison conditions had severely deteriorated since December 2019 and from the coronavirus outbreak. Rations were reduced, the number of food items available in the canteen was insufficient, and their prices greatly increased. Family visits and food parcels were limited, and even banned in February. Inmates were starving. Some caught wild pigeons to feed themselves.

Sentence adjustments¶

14 December. The president pardoned 2,082 people for a national holiday.

28 September. The president pardoned 815 inmates for the 29th Anniversary of the country’s independence.

16 May The president pardoned 1,402 inmates for a religious day. ACCA reported that some of them contracted the coronavirus. Officials denied the virus was present in the country.

Appeals and recommendations¶

22 December. The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) criticized the government’s strategy to deny the presence of the virus in the country, and denounced the systematic diagnosis of pneumonia for many infections, especially when inmates presented COVID-19 symptoms. Experts from the WHO mentioned they were ”extremely concerned“ about “numerous reports of an increasing number of acute respiratory infections and pneumonia of unknown origin”. They called on the government to implement the same measures as in the countries where the pandemic has spread.

Identified cases¶

16 October. Relatives denounced the premature deaths of three inmates in the DZ-K/8 prison for women. The bodies were not returned to their families. According to official sources familiar with the prison, a great many inmates became infected. The government claimed that there are no infections in the country.

13 July. Authorities reported that there were no cases of COVID-19. Testimonies and reliable sources informed the Analytical Center for Central Asia (ACCA) that there were infections in the MR-B/15 prisons in Mary city, and in the Yashlyk Detention Centre near Achgabat. More than 200 inmates have died from pneumonia since the beginning of the year.

8 June. Recently pardoned prisoners reported that 14 inmates and one guard died from COVID-19 in one of the country’s prison colonies. This number may be higher. Bodies were quickly removed ”in garbage trucks”, often at night.

Sanitary conditions and access to healthcare¶

7 May. The prison administration set up teleconferences with staff from all detention centres and correctional facilities in the country in order to relegate anti-pandemic measures. All officers and inmates must undergo daily temperature screenings. Face masks must be worn during duties, manual labour, and meetings. All newly arrived inmates are being screened and placed under 14-day quarantine. The administration said that eight “mobile medical teams” had been set up. Handwashing stations and hand sanitisers were made available at gates, kitchens, halls and all floors.

Contact with the outside world¶

7 May. The prison administration allowed longer telephone calls between detainees and their families.
Permits for going outside prison for prison officers and soldiers have been reduced. Those who return from leave are having their health closely monitored for 14 days.

Appeals and recommendations¶

5 May. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) asked that the United Nations take action for the release of the journalists incarcerated during the spread of the virus.

14 April. The relatives of more than 30 political prisoners signed an open letter demanding their release. The families did not see the detainees since the visitation suspension in early March.

4 April. The association Defend the defenders (DTD) requested the government to release all prisoners of conscience. The latest statistics from the organization demonstrated 240 political prisoners remained in the country.