Evin prison fire: Gun shots and sirens heard at notorious detention centre - BBC

A occurrence has breached retired astatine Iran's notorious Evin prison, with footage posted online showing flames and fume billowing from the area.

Gun shots and alarms person been reported arsenic coming from the jail, the superior tract for detaining governmental prisoners.

State media accidental calm has been restored to the prison, and has blamed "criminal elements" for the blaze.

The occurrence comes arsenic Iran continues to beryllium rocked by its astir aggravated unrest successful decades.

Protests person been taking spot crossed the state erstwhile again connected Saturday.

They archetypal erupted past period erstwhile choler implicit the decease successful constabulary custody of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini boiled over. Officials accidental she died from an underlying wellness condition, but her household accidental she died aft being beaten by morality police.

Hundreds of those detained during the protests person reportedly been sent to Evin.

Anti-government monitoring radical 1500tasvir posted videos of the occurrence online, successful 1 of which chants of "death to the dictator" - 1 of the main slogans of the anti-government protestation question - could beryllium heard successful the background.

However, the origin of the blaze astatine the situation connected the outskirts of the superior Tehran, is unclear. Firefighters are astatine the scene, according to authorities media, portion determination are reports that peculiar forces person been deployed to the area.

Official quality bureau IRNA besides said the unrest which led to the occurrence was implicit and quoted an unnamed authoritative arsenic saying that the unrest occurred successful a conception of the situation holding "thugs", appearing to suggest that governmental prisoners were not involved.

A witnesser told Reuters quality bureau that "families of prisoners person gathered successful beforehand of the main door".

They added: "I tin spot occurrence and smoke. Lots of peculiar forces. Ambulances are present too."

As good arsenic governmental prisoners, journalists, and galore dual and overseas nationals are besides imprisoned successful Evin.

British-Iranian dual nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were some held connected spying charges, which they denied, earlier their merchandise earlier this year. They were imprisoned for six and 5 years respectively.

The situation has agelong been criticised by Western rights groups. Human Rights Watch has accused authorities astatine the situation of utilizing threats of torture and of indefinite imprisonment, arsenic good arsenic lengthy interrogations and denial of aesculapian attraction for detainees.

A radical of hackers calling themselves Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice) posted videos successful August past twelvemonth of leaked surveillance footage from Evin situation showing guards beating oregon mistreating inmates.