At least 4 dead in fire at Iran’s Evin prison after inmates clash with guards
Blaze at notorious jail comes as Islamic republic tries to quell widespread protests
Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran
12 HOURS AGO
At least four people were killed in a fire that swept through Iran’s notorious Evin prison on Saturday evening after inmates clashed with security forces, while more than 60 others were injured.
IRNA, the country’s official media, quoted an unknown security official as saying a fight broke out in one ward that led to clashes with prison guards. “Villains and thugs set alight the warehouse of prisoners’ clothes, which caused a fire in Evin prison,” the official said. “The situation is under thorough control now and there is tranquility in the prison while firefighters are putting [out] the fire.” The judiciary’s news agency added on Sunday that the four inmates — whose identities were not disclosed — had been convicted of theft and died as a result of smoke inhalation, while four others remained in a critical condition. The agency said that some prisoners who had been charged with “dangerous and violent crimes” had tried in vain to escape the prison, which houses demonstrators arrested during widespread protests and political prisoners. Videos and pictures in local media showed fire and smoke rising from the jail. Foreign nationals, including Americans and Europeans, are also held in Evin. At least nine foreigners have been arrested during the protests, authorities have said.
Ned Price, US state department spokesperson, said the Biden administration was following reports from Evin “with urgency”.
“We are in contact with the Swiss as our protecting power,” Price wrote on Twitter. “Iran is fully responsible for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who should be released immediately.”
The incident comes as the Islamic republic has been struggling with one of the biggest and most long-lasting protests in its 43-year-old history. The nationwide demonstrations were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, on September 16 following her arrest by the morality police for allegedly failing to observe the Islamic code. Many Iranians were outraged and accused security forces of beating her. Iranian authorities insist she was not punished and died because of pre-existing conditions.
Anti-regime protests in the streets and universities continued in Tehran and other cities on Saturday. In the capital, there was tight security around campuses including Tehran University, where students chanted “death to the dictator”, witnesses said. The elite Revolutionary Guards deployed its special anti-riot forces outside the university, the first time they have been seen in Tehran. Until now, security operations have been conducted mainly by the police force as well as plain-clothed guards. Iranian officials have vowed to stamp out the protests, which they blame on the regime’s enemies including the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Recommended The Big Read The revolutionary ambitions of Iran’s Generation Z State television has confirmed that more than 40 protesters have died but Amnesty International has said the toll is at least 144, including 23 children.
While the demonstrations seemed to be diminishing in recent days compared with a week ago, analysts warn that further killings could escalate the unrest. Reports that a teenage schoolgirl was killed in the north-western city of Ardabil last week have spurred renewed anger. Authorities have denied the reports. Ali Daei, a former football star from the region, said silence about the protests had caused further violence, including the death of the girl in Ardabil. “This silence is at the cost of [more] deaths and every day there is a new loss,” he wrote on Instagram on Saturday.
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