Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 16, 2020—Over 30,000 people have died of the novel coronavirus in 294 cities checkered across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as of Thursday afternoon local time, April 16. The official death count declared by the regime is 4,869, less than a sixth of the actual figure.
The death toll in various provinces include: 4,970 in Tehran, 2,810 in Qom, 2,145 in Isfahan, 1,910 in Mazandaran, 1,135 in Alborz, 1,050 in Golestan, 950 in East Azerbaijan, 845 in Kermanshah, 790 in Fars, 750 in Hamedan, 490 in Kurdistan, 490 in Markazi (Central), 450 in Zanjan, 315 in North Khorasan, 276 in Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari, 250 in Ilam, 170 in Kohgiluyehn & Boyer Ahmad, and 105 in South Khorasan. This is in addition to the figures reported from other provinces.
Over 30,000 dead of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran
Deeply concerned about possible popular protests, the mullahs’ regime has resorted to unprecedented cover-ups regarding the number of COVID-19 victims and cases. According to orders issued by the Intelligence Minister, the Census Department’s website, where reports of the deceased in various cities and areas are registered, is no longer available. These measures are taken to prevent any leakage of the true number of coronavirus deaths.
This chart was published at the beginning of each month during the first 11 months of the last Iranian calendar year. Based on reports wired by the regime’s official IRNA news agency, “It has been three days that provincial medical science universities have not been presenting their numbers of new deaths and cases.”
Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesperson of the regime’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday, April 15, that one-third of those killed in the past two days were in Tehran. This reminded many of the orders issued by senior Iranian regime official for people to return to work and the unprecedented crowds seen in Tehran’s public transportation system.
Alireza Zali, head of Tehran’s COVID-19 Task Force HQ said 399 new coronavirus patients have been hospitalized in Tehran during the past 24 hours, according to a report published by Vatane Emrouz daily on Thursday, April 16.
A growing number of the regime’s own officials are demanding budgets to be allocated for the needy from cartels controlled by Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
“A month ago I asked why are we not tapping the sources at the government’s disposal, such as the Mostazafan Foundation, the SETAD, and the Astan Qods Razavi?” asked Mostafa Kavakabian, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) during an open-doors session, “… All government, non-government and public entities, alongside the massive state-run companies should help out. We should not politicize the coronavirus issue. Now is not the time to settle political scores… If we want to voice unhappiness, the main issue at hand is why did the government and Interior Ministry hold the February 21 Majlis elections despite their knowledge of COVID-19?”
#Iran: Tehran City Council Member: The death toll in Tehran does not match up with the official figures. The government is portraying everything as normal, at least the people themselves should know about their situation and take care of themselves. #Covid_19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/GwU2n2oW90
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 15, 2020
MP Gholamreza Heydari also tacitly warned about the consequences of continuing to hoard national wealth in regime-backed institutes. “The assets of these institutes belong to the people and the nation… It is time that the Mostazafan Foundation, SETAD and the different Endowments that have sources of income honestly and voluntarily place their assets at the people’s disposal.”
Meanwhile, the state-run Arman newspaper described the situation of labor children in Iran as such: “We can’t stay home because hunger is deadlier than coronavirus. We can’t stay in quarantine with empty stomachs.”
According to the statistics released by the regime’s labor ministry, there are 409,000 identified labor children in Iran, and their jobs are mainly street hawking, selling flowers, fortune-telling, and garbage collecting. These days, garbage collectors continue to work and can be seen in the streets searching inside garbage bins.
Regarding the tragic death of more than 30,000 Iranians due to COVID-19 and the heartbreaking situation of labor children, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said, after the mass murder of MEK members and dissidents, the regime is now massacring the children and the people of Iran in the coronavirus crisis. The only solution is to overthrow the mullahs' regime and to disinfect this land from the coronavirus and the mullahs’ virus.
