Iran’s central prison for the detention of political prisoners went up in flames on Saturday, with inmates fleeing the facility and guards reportedly fired on them.
The infamous Evin prison is located in the Iranian capital Tehran and has long been used to house opponents of the regime. Hundreds of those who protested the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini have been brought into the facility in recent weeks.
However, state media deny that the fire had any connection with the protests.
At least four prisoners were killed and more than 60 were injured in the incident, according to the BBC.
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A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic Republic’s “moral police” in Tehran, Iran on September 19, 2022. WANA (West Asian News Agency ) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES. ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES / PHOTO FILES
(Ap Newsroom)
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Much of the prison is still intact on Sunday now that the flames are largely under control. State authorities say the fire was limited to a wing for “petty criminals”.
The fire comes after a full month of nationwide protests in Iran as citizens outraged by Amini’s death demand an end to the government of dictator Ali Khamenei.
Local reports say “death to the dictator” chants may be heard around the prison on Saturday night. Authorities closed road access to the facility and reportedly shut down internet access for the area, a common tactic for the regime.
In this photo published by the official website of the office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised New Year’s speech, in Tehran, Iran, on Monday 21 March 2022. Khamenei signaled support for the Tehran nuclear negotiations for sure relief from sanctions, a rare reference to talks still interrupted as world powers are close to a diplomatic breakthrough. A portrait of the late Iranian revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, is shown on the right.
(Iranian Supreme Leader Office via AP)
Amini was killed at the hands of the Iranian moral police on September 16 after being arrested for wearing the hijab incorrectly. She was discharged to the hospital with severe injuries and is in a coma. Authorities said she simply fell while she was in custody.
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The control groups say so hundreds of people were killed in protests, including some law enforcement agencies of the regime. However, Iranian restrictions on internet access have made it difficult to verify the number of victims.
