'Anti-Government Protester Detention' Prison Fire... 4 Dead

International Community Condemns... France "Closely Monitoring Situation"
USA "Violence Against Citizens Must End"

A fire broke out at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, on the 15th (local time), with flames soaring. (Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As anti-government protests sparked by the 'hijab suspicious death' continue into their fourth week, a fire broke out in a prison holding a large number of protest participants, resulting in dozens of casualties. Iranian correctional authorities have denied any connection to the anti-government protests.

According to major foreign media on the 16th (local time), the Iranian judiciary announced that a fire broke out in the prison after a fight among inmates convicted of financial crimes and theft the previous day, killing 4 and injuring 61. Among the injured, 4 are in critical condition and receiving hospital treatment.

Reports state that around 9:30 p.m. the previous day, flames erupted at Evin Prison located in northern Tehran, accompanied by multiple explosions and alarm sounds in the vicinity.

Witnesses reported that police blocked the main roads and highways leading to Evin Prison, and several strong explosions were heard near the prison multiple times.

Taking advantage of the chaos, some inmates escaped outside the building, and it is presumed that explosions were caused by them stepping on landmines during their escape.

The fire has now been completely extinguished. Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi stated, "Peace has returned to Evin Prison, and this disturbance is unrelated to the anti-government protests over the past four weeks."

It is known that hundreds of protesters arrested during the 'hijab suspicious death' anti-government protests are detained at Evin Prison. This prison is notorious for inhumane treatment and is where Iranian authorities have confined political prisoners, anti-government figures, and foreign detainees accused of security-related offenses.

The U.S. government blacklisted Evin Prison in 2018 due to allegations of human rights abuses.

The international community and human rights organizations have raised concerns about the possibility of a massacre as the cause of the fire in the Iranian prison and are closely monitoring the situation. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We are closely watching the situation at Evin Prison where French nationals are detained."

The United States is also closely monitoring the Evin Prison incident and sharply stated that the Iranian government bears full responsibility for the safety of Americans detained there without just cause.

U.S. President Joe Biden, responding to reporters' questions about the Iranian prison fire, said, "I am amazed by the courage of the people and women taking to the streets," and urged, "The violence against citizens exercising their basic rights must end."

In response to President Biden's remarks, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi resisted, saying, "They are inciting chaos, terrorism, and destruction," and added, "We must remember the words of Ruhollah Khomeini, who called the U.S. the Great Satan."

The anti-government monitoring group '1500 Tasvir' posted a video of the Evin Prison fire on Twitter, expressing concern, "Evin Prison houses political prisoners. We believe a massacre is taking place."

Another video posted by the group showed protesters near the prison chanting slogans such as "Death to the dictator."

The Norway-based human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned that the official account of the incident by Iranian authorities is not trustworthy and that the safety of inmates, including political prisoners, is in grave danger. The New York-based human rights group Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) claimed that inmates have been cut off from outside contact and may be at risk of being killed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.