The COVID-19 Novel Corona Virus Pandemic is ravaging the world and claiming lives in the hundreds of thousands but a cure or vaccine is yet to be found. Researchers and scientists from many countries are racing against time to find a cure and some groups have even moved onto the clinical trial stage. At such a time, top Russian politician who is pro-Putin - Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has suggested that researchers use prisoners for testing the vaccines. He has suggested that prisoners who are having lengthy sentences should be offered a chance to participate in human trials with such volunteers getting reduction in their sentences. Zhirinovsky has stated that the prisoners would jump at such an opportunity!

However, this comment of Zhirinovsky's has come in for heavy criticism from all quarters! Many human rights activists and lawyers have lashed out against Zhirinovsky and stated that prisoners are humans too and not guinea pigs for researchers to conduct experiments on. Some activists have also reached out to Vladimir Putin, asking that these suggestions not be taken into consideration. For years, there have been media reports alleging that prisoners have been used for clinical trials of various vaccines, including viruses and even the deadly AIDS. Irrespective of the fact that we need more volunteers to participate in human trials of vaccines, it is still not right to use prisoners for such trials. Stay tuned for updates...