Prisoners killed in fire at Iran’s most notorious prison
Prisoners have been killed in a fire that broke out at Iran’s most notorious prison on Saturday. Four prisoners were killed by the fire that started at Evin Prison in Tehran on Saturday, state media reported.
Another 61 prisoners have been injured, according to state media. State media reported that four of the injured prisoners were in critical condition.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Tehran’s governor told state TV that there had been a riot in a wing of the prison housing petty criminals. State media quoted an official blaming “criminal elements” for the blaze.
Meanwhile, inmates told pro-reform outlet IranWire that guards fired tear gas all night after the fire broke out. In many cases, prisoners had to break their windows so they could breathe, IranWire reported.
Evin is reviled by human rights supporters for its torture, imprisonment, and executions of political prisoners. The prison detains activists, journalists, artists, journalists, and religious and ethnic minorities. Advocates for human rights in Iran expressed their fears for the prisoners inside Evin.
Journalist Roxana Saberi, herself a former Evin inmate, wrote a long and heartfelt Instagram post, which includes a video of the fire. She wrote…
“ #EvinPrison is where the IRI has jailed not only “regular criminals” but also intellectuals, activists, lawyers, adherents of the minority Baha’i faith, journalists (including me), and more recently, protesters…#Evin is also where I met some of the most courageous, brightest people in my life – behind bars.”
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The fire occurred after weeks of protests in Iran. The latest uprising began after a young woman died on September 16 after being arrested by the country’s “morality police” three days before. The woman, 22 year old Mahsa Amini, was arrested for supposedly not wearing her hijab properly, with her hair hanging out.
Iran severely restricts women’s rights in many ways and has done so ever since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The country still maintains a dress code requiring women to cover their arms and legs, and wear headscarves.
It’s illegal in Iran for women to voluntarily sterilise themselves since the government wants to promote “traditional” families. Women cannot leave the country without their husbands’ permission. Several activists who have spoken out for women’s rights in Iran have been imprisoned, tortured, and killed by the government.
Iranians are now taking to the streets and demanding an end to the regime. On Saturday, it was reported that at least 233 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations. The world watches as Iranians continue to resist their brutal dictatorship.
