A large fire broke out in the Evin prison in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday evening. This is reported by the international news agencies AP and Reuters. on online videos gunshots and sirens can also be heard. The infamous Evin Prison is where political prisoners and prisoners with dual citizenship are held. According to the Iranian state news agency irna at least eight people were injured.
The cause of the fire is unclear, but Iranian state media quoted a prison security official as saying that a warehouse of prison clothing was set on fire. The official quoted puts the blame on ‘criminal elements’. Firefighters are said to be working to put out the fire which would be under control, the safety official said.
Kill Mahsa Amini
The fire comes after nearly a month of protests across the country. The protests prompted the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested by the vice squad last month and died in detention. Iranians have been demonstrating daily since then. The protesters call for the departure of the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A witness to the fire, quoted by Reuters news agency, says relatives of inmates have gathered outside the main entrance of the prison. “I see fire and smoke. Lots of special units. There are also ambulances.”
Other videos on social media show Tehran’s streets fill with traffic; according to several Iranian journalists, the vehicles are driving in the direction of the prison.
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