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FILE - In this March 24, 2020 file photo, workers spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, on a street lined with billboards showing Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Qamishli, Syria. In some cells in Iran, Syria and other countries in the Middle East, prisoners are crammed in by the dozens, with little access to hygiene or medical care. So if one infection gets in, the novel coronavirus could run rampant. Among the vulnerable prison populations are tens of thousands of political detainees, jailed for anything from advocating for democracy, holding protests or simply criticizing autocratic leaders. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad, File)

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In packed, dirty cells, political prisoners fear virus
March 31, 2020 2:08 a.m.

In packed, dirty cells, political prisoners fear virus

CAIRO (AP) — Reza Khandan got the word from friends jailed in Iran’s most feared prison, Evin. A prisoner and a guard in their cell block had been removed because they were suspected of having coronavirus, and two guards in the women’s ward had shown symptoms.