At least four people died and 61 were injured in the fire and clashes in the main prison in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where political prisoners are held, according to a statement released by official authorities.
According to a source from Iran’s Judicial Media Center, quoted by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, the four dead had been convicted of robbery.
Most of the inmates who received medical care suffered from smoke inhalation poisoning.
According to a security services source, several inmates set fire to the clothing store, causing a fire and clashes between detainees and staff at Evin prison, where political prisoners are also held.
At least 70 prisoners were rescued. Of the 61 injured, 51 have already been discharged and the rest remain hospitalized.
According to the governor of Tehran province, Mohsen Mansuri, “firefighters and security forces have controlled the fire in Evin prison and the situation is calm.”
Videos of the fire circulated on social media, while media outlets such as Rádio Farda, a US-funded Farsi-language station, reported that security forces used tear gas to disperse families of inmates after learning of the fire. fire.
The Evin prison, located west of Tehran, covers an area of 40 hectares and some of its modules are controlled by the judiciary, while others depend on the Ministry of Information and the intelligence services of the Revolutionary Guard, the force regime elite. .
Several human rights organizations frequently denounce the practice of torture in this prison, where there are many detainees considered political prisoners, as well as inmates with dual nationality.
The incidents at Evin prison coincide with protests sparked by the death of Masha Amini, 22, on September 16, after being detained by Tehran customs police for incorrectly wearing the Islamic headscarf, which is compulsory for women.
After the death of the young Kurdish man, with contradictory versions, protests broke out in many cities of the country, led mainly by young people and that today continue despite the strong repression of the security forces.
Source: TSF
