At least four killed in fire at Iran's notorious Evin Prison amid anti-government protests - NBC News

Sunday marks a period since the decease of Mahsa Amini successful morality constabulary custody, which sparked nationwide protests, led chiefly by women, strikes and a convulsive crackdown by Iran’s information forces.

Amini, 22, from Iran’s Kurdistan region, died successful custody aft she was detained past period successful Tehran and accused of failing to afloat screen her hairsbreadth and defying the country’s strict formal codes. Three days later, she was dead. 

Police said Amini died aft she fell sick and slipped into a coma, but her household has said witnesses told them she was beaten by officers, and it has complained astir the mode her decease has been investigated.

A coroner's study released this period by the Iranian Legal Medical Organization, which describes itself arsenic autarkic but is portion of the country’s judiciary, said Amini died from aggregate organ failure, caused by an underlying disease.

The demonstrations since her decease person posed 1 of the most serious challenges to the Iranian authorities since the 1979 revolution, with immoderate radical chanting slogans against the ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Ebrahim Raisi.

State media has reported that astatine slightest 60 radical person died since the protests began. Human rights organizations judge the fig is apt to beryllium overmuch higher.

The authorities has blamed what it calls “foreign enemies” for stoking the unrest.

A State Department spokesperson said precocious Saturday that the U.S. is “closely monitoring the concerning concern astatine Iran’s Evin situation and the information it poses to its galore detainees.”

“Our precedence is the information of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained successful Iran. Their information and rights indispensable beryllium ensured,” the spokesperson said successful a statement.

In 2018 the Treasury Department imposed sanctions connected Evin situation for what it called “serious quality rights abuses.” The Treasury Department website says prisoners held astatine Evin Prison are taxable to “brutal tactics inflicted by situation authorities, including intersexual assaults, carnal assaults, and electrical shock.”

A lawyer representing an American Iranian held astatine Evin, Siamak Namazi, who was imprisoned for astir 7 years connected espionage-related charges the White House rejects arsenic baseless, said Sunday that Namazi had contacted his relatives.

“I americium pleased to study that #SiamakNamazi has present spoken to his family. He is harmless and has been moved to a unafraid country of Evin Prison. We person nary further details astatine this time,” Jared Genser said connected Twitter.

Several different dual nationalist Iranians and overseas citizens are held successful Evin prison. The installation has agelong been known for holding governmental prisoners, arsenic good arsenic those with ties to the West.

During a run travel to Portland, Oregon, President Joe Biden addressed the unrest successful Iran, saying helium was amazed by “the courageousness of radical and women taking the street” successful the caller protests and that helium had tremendous respect for them. “It’s been truly amazing,” he said.