Clashes erupted and a fire broke out on Saturday (October 15th) in the Iranian prison of Evin in Tehran, where political prisoners and anti-government activists are detained.
Images shared on social networks showed, in the evening, huge flames and thick smoke emerging from the compound located in the northwest of the Iranian capital. Online videos and local media also reported gunshots.
“The thugs set fire to a warehouse of clothes inside Evin prison, which caused a fire”explained to the official press agency (Irna) a senior security official, who affirms that clashes have opposed “rioters” to prison staff. “At the moment, the situation is completely under control and calm has returned to the prison”he added.
Money change
The website of the Ministry of Justice, Mizan Onlinespecifies, for his part, that the fire broke out “following a conflict between several detainees who had been convicted of financial offenses and theft”. Fire “is now under control”affirmed a firefighter on the spot with the agency Irna, affirming that “Eight people were injured in this fire which caused no deaths”.
“Iran bears full responsibility for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who must be released immediately”, tweeted Ned Pricespokesman for the diplomacy of the United States, adding that Washington followed the development of the incident “with urgency”.
Evin Prison, which holds prisoners – some dual nationals – facing security-related charges, has been accused by rights groups of mistreating its inmates. The facility is known to house political prisoners as well as people with Western ties who have been used by Iran as bargaining chips in international negotiations.
“Death to the dictator!” »
A street protest erupted shortly after the incidents in Evin Prison, with many people chanting “Death to the dictator!” » – a reference to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Videos showed burning tires, and witnesses said police blocked roads and highways leading to Evin prison, and at least three loud explosions were heard coming from the area. Traffic was heavy along major highways near the prison, and many people honked their horns in solidarity with the protests.
People have reported that the internet is blocked in the area.
Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said the ” peace “ returned to the prison, and that the unrest was unrelated to protests that have swept the country for four weeks following the September 16 death of a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested three days earlier by the vice squad for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women, including the wearing of the veil.
Anti-regime mobilizations continued throughout the day on Saturday in several cities in Iran. Protesters chanted “Down with the dictator! » in the streets of Ardabil, in the northwest of the country. Outside the universities of Kermanshah (West), Rasht (North-West) and Tehran, students gathered, according to videos on social networks. In Sanandaj, a hotbed of protests in the northern Kurdistan region, female students chanted “Woman, life, freedom”.
Political and social anger grew in the country following the death of Mahsa Amini, prompting girls and women to remove their compulsory headscarves in the streets in a show of solidarity. Other segments of society, including oil workers, joined the movement. Riots have also broken out in prisons, with clashes reported recently between inmates and guards at the Lakan facility.