DUBAI - Iran has temporarily freed about 85,000 prisoners, including political prisoners, a spokesman for its judiciary said on Tuesday, in response to the coronavirus epidemic.

"Some 50% of those released are security-related prisoners ... Also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures to confront the outbreak," said Gholamhossein Esmaili.

On March 10, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran said he had asked Tehran to free all political prisoners temporarily from its overcrowded and disease-ridden jails to help stem the spread of coronavirus.

Reuters