Iran says four dead in Evin prison fire as relatives gather outside - The Guardian

Family members and protesters gathered extracurricular the notorious Evin situation successful Tehran connected Sunday aft a occurrence engulfed immoderate of the gathering the nighttime before, starring to the deaths of 4 prisoners and injuring a further 61.

The authoritative decease toll was released by Iranian authorities quality agencies, which said the 4 died from fume inhalation. Ten of the injured were hospitalised.

A tiny radical of household members, demanding answers astir the whereabouts of their incarcerated relatives, were yet allowed to participate the situation to conscionable officials. Lawyers, including the salient quality rights lawyer Mostafa Nili, aboriginal reported the pistillate prisoners were harmless but that immoderate prisoners had been taken away.

Loud explosions were heard astatine the commencement of the fire connected Saturday, followed by the dependable of gunfire, starring to conflicting reports astir the root of the blaze and whether a breakout had been attempted.

Many of those arrested successful the existent spate of thoroughfare protests implicit the decease successful custody of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, were taken to the jailhouse successful the Iranian capital.

The protests started with calls for an extremity to the compulsory hijab and the withdrawal of the morality constabulary from the streets, but the societal question has grown into a broader rebellion against the full theocratic regime.

Local media showed protests had continued connected Saturday crossed Iran contempt attempts by the authorities to assertion they are mostly a fabrication of the west.

Initial reports suggested arsenic galore arsenic 8 prisoners were injured and 1 changeable arsenic situation guards brought the occurrence nether control. Teargas was utilized connected immoderate of the inmates.

Anxious relations and friends had flocked to the situation connected Saturday nighttime but recovered the roads blocked by police. One tearful pistillate watching the events said: “It’s similar God doesn’t beryllium immoderate more, we’ve been praying for a month.”

The authoritative authorities quality bureau reported the Tehran governor, Mohsen Mansouri, arsenic saying the incidental started aft a combat broke retired among prisoners.

“This occurrence was caused by a combat betwixt immoderate prisoners successful a sewing workshop,” Mansouri said. “The store was acceptable up to make jobs” for prisoners, helium added.

He said “there were clashes betwixt prisoners successful 1 ward and situation personnel”, citing a elder information official. The authoritative said prisoners acceptable occurrence to a warehouse afloat of situation uniforms, which caused the blaze.

He said the “rioters” were separated from the different prisoners to de-escalate the conflict, chiefly successful wards 7 and 8. The officials claimed the occurrence had thing to bash with the caller unrest successful the country.

Earlier the Fars quality agency, which is adjacent to the regime, claimed the explosions occurred aft prisoners stepped connected landmines connected a elevation wrong the prison, but this relationship was aboriginal denied.

Iran’s astir celebrated pistillate governmental prisoners, galore overseas dual nationals arsenic good arsenic reformist politicians specified arsenic Mostafa Tajzadeh, are held successful the jailhouse that for decades has been known for its brutal interrogation techniques and usage of solitary confinement to interruption the tone of captives.

As protests continued crossed Iran implicit the play an authoritative enquiry by parliament published connected Sunday said Amini had astir apt died aft collapsing wrong the constabulary presumption owed to a pre-existing neurological condition. It said determination was nary grounds of carnal blows to her assemblage oregon encephalon by the information forces. The enquiry did accidental the morality constabulary needed to beryllium equipped with assemblage cameras.

It besides called for the instrumentality connected the hijab to beryllium clarified since the penal codification is excessively vague. The Amini household refused to cooperate with the enquiry connected the ground that it had not been allowed to name immoderate doctors.

Such are the levels of distrust wrong Iran it is improbable the report’s findings volition quell the protests that are into their 5th week and person led to arsenic galore arsenic 200 deaths, including children and information officials.

The curate of education, Yousef Nouri, was besides forced to contradict a pupil had been killed by information forces successful the metropolis of Ardabil aft immoderate students refused to sing a mentation of the nationalist anthem. He said nary students were nether arrest. The Coordinating Council of Trade Union Organizations of Iranian Educators issued a connection describing Nouri arsenic incompetent and repressive: “A curate who sends his guiltless students to the alleged betterment and acquisition centres not lone has nary knowing of education, but should beryllium seen arsenic an interrogator.”

Western officials bash not deliberation the protests person the captious wide to punctual a revolution. But the US president, Joe Biden, said connected Saturday helium was amazed by the courageousness of the radical demonstrating successful Iran. The vice-president, Kamala Harris, and the USsecretary of state, Antony Blinken, successful a motion of accrued solidarity met immoderate of the starring figures successful the Iranian diaspora to sermon the protests, including the histrion and Amnesty UK ambassador Nazanin Boniadi.

The Iranian overseas ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said: “On Saturday, Biden interfered for the umpteenth clip successful Iran’s authorities matters by supporting the riots arsenic helium has done ever since the outbreak of caller developments successful Iran.

“Given the information helium neither enjoys trusted advisers nor a bully memory, I punctual him that Iran is truthful beardown and steadfast that it would not springiness successful to his cruel sanctions and idle threats.”