How Iran’s Supreme Leader sacrificed lives for a failed display of power
In December 2020, the first coronavirus vaccines were introduced by the United States; “Pfizer” and “Moderna”. In January of 2021, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, banned the import of “western vaccines.” A decision he stood by for nearly a year and after tens of thousands of Iranians died. The communities that were waiting for treatment and were happy that the world had found a way to prevent further deaths were left in shock.
The Iranian Red Crescent announced that the arrival of more than 100,000 doses of Pfizer, which was supposed to save Iranians, had been canceled and even the voluntary team of Doctors Without Borders, which had gone to Iran to help, were returned.
The Islamic Republic even refused to accept donated vaccines, and at the behest of Khamenei tens of thousands of Iranians died, only for a failed display of power. Iran announced that it was developing several vaccines, and most importantly, introduced the Iranian “Barakat” vaccine, the nature of which no one is aware of yet, and which has not been approved by the World Health Organization. Following the recklessness of Ali Khamenei, the then Minister of Health, with contradictory statements and negligence, left the medical community, patients, and citizens with a shortage of medicine and necessary equipment in pharmacies and hospitals.
The Islamic Republic was so high on its unobtained achievements that the following sentence was published in the ninth-grade book “Social Sciences”: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, with its advanced health facilities and equipment as well as specialized, compassionate and hard-working medical staff, was able to be one of the top countries in the world in the fight against the coronavirus.” However, based on official and global statistics, Iran has the highest Covid infection and mortality rate in the Middle East.
August 16, 2021, The highest daily death toll of Covid-19 was announced by Iran’s government; 655 people, which prompted the Human Rights Defenders to send a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Physical and Mental Health, informing the UN about the “deplorable state of health of the Iranian people” and urging the government to hold Iran accountable for its negligent actions and also work to vaccinate the Iranian people.
Two days before the letter, however, seven lawyers and civil activists were arrested by Iran’s security forces; They sought to sue the government for decisions that cost people their lives, and according to lawyers, their detention is illegal; Especially since the reason of detention is filing a lawsuit against the officials of the Islamic Republic, even Ali Khamenei, is legal.
Source » iranbriefing