Evin Prison fire

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Evin Prison fire
Part of Mahsa Amini protests
Date15 October 2022 (2022-10-15)
LocationEvin Prison, Evin, Tehran, Iran
DeathsAt least 4 inmates
Non-fatal injuries61+

On 15 October 2022, starting around 10:00 local time,[1] a series of incidents including a fire, explosions and automatic gun battles occurred in the Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran,[2] continuing through to early morning 16 October 2022.[1]

Background

Evin Prison is known to hold political activists and journalists. As well as dual and foreign nationals.[3][4]

Fire

Start

Reports on the beginning of the fire and related events vary. According to The New York Times (NYT), three versions include "an explosive device, an attempted escape and an infiltration of the prison from the outside".[1] A witness interviewed by NYT said that she heard gunshots starting at 10:00 local time.[1]

According to the Judiciary Media Center[5] and governor-general of Tehran Mohsen Mansouri,[6] during a fight between a number of prisoners in Ward 6 and Ward 7, both of which are special prisons for financial convictions and theft, the sewing workshop of the prison caught fire.[5][7]

Witnesses interviewed by Al Jazeera English stated that the fire was started by Molotov cocktails thrown into the prison, followed by security forces firing and using tear gas.[6]

Explosions and shooting

Fars News Agency said that four "massive explosions" took place after IRNA claimed that the fire had been extinguished.[1] A NYT witness said that she heard automatic gunfire and "enormous" explosions around 21:00 local time.[1]

According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, there was a "gun battle" in Evin prison Saturday night ongoing at 22:00 local time on the night of 15 October.[8]

Videos shared on social media on 15 October showed smoke rising from the prison. Repeated gunfire as well as anti-government chants could also be heard in the videos.[3]

Explosions from the prison were heard in the early hours of 16 October.[1]

Amirdaryoush Youhaei, a local resident, stated that "There was a massive siren and then eleven big explosions and machine gunfire that didn't stop. ... It felt like we were watching a war movie."[1]

Media reports

The media affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the government of the Islamic Republic reported the conflict and fire in this prison.[9]

Events around the prison

The families of prisoners in Evin and various others gathered near the prison. Government forces threw tear gas at them in response. The security forces also blocked Yadegar-e-Emam Expressway to prevent people from approaching. Anti-government slogans can be heard in videos taken around the prison.[10] Slogans that were called out included "Death to the dictator".[1] According to the Iranian media site Mizan.news four prisoners, all of whom had been convicted for robbery-related offences, were killed and 61 others inmates injured.[11]

Windows of nearby homes were shattered by the blast waves from the explosions heard around 21:00 local time, according to a NYT witness.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fassihi, Farnaz (2022-10-15). "Fire Erupts at Iran's Most Notorious Prison Amid National Protests". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  2. ^ "Evin prison fire: Gun shots and sirens heard at notorious detention centre". BBC News. 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  3. ^ a b "Clashes, fire erupt at Iran's Evin Prison: State media". Al Arabiya English. 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  4. ^ "Riots and Fire Reported in the Notorious Evin Prison". iranwire.com. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  5. ^ a b "آخرین جزئیات از حادثه زندان اوین/ آتش‌سوزی و درگیری زندانیان". ایسنا (in Persian). 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  6. ^ a b "Four inmates killed in fire at Tehran's Evin prison: State media". Al Jazeera English. 2022-10-16. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  7. ^ "جزییات ماجرای آتش سوزی زندان اوین/ منبع آگاه: زندان تحت کنترل است/ زندانیان کدام بندها با هم درگیر شدند؟- اخبار نظامی | دفاعی | امنیتی - اخبار سیاسی تسنیم | Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  8. ^ "Large Blaze Breaks Out And Guns Fired In Tehran's Evin Prison". Iran International. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  9. ^ جهان, Fararu | فرارو | اخبار روز ایران و (2022-10-15). "(ویدئو) درگیری و آتش‌سوزی در زندان اوین". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  10. ^ گسترش آتش‌سوزی در زندان اوین به همراه شنیده‌شدن صدای آژیر، شامگاه ۲۳ مهر (in Persian), retrieved 2022-10-15
  11. ^ AP. "Iran says four killed, 61 injured amid blaze at notorious Evin prison". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
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