Iran, Tehran prison fire doubles death toll to eight

A fire raging at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison has killed eight Iranian inmates, the judiciary said on Monday. This caused Mercer to double his official death toll from the blaze, which further stoked tensions over the month of protests sparked by his Amini’s death.

Authorities in the Islamic Republic have blamed the fire late Saturday on “riots and clashes” among prisoners, but human rights groups have questioned the official narrative of the incident and the actual death toll may be higher. I am concerned that there is

Video footage posted on social media channels showed gunshots and explosions during dramatic blazes from within the complex as flames lit up the night sky and smoke rose from buildings.

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Hundreds of protesters arrested in recent weeks have been sent to Evin, notorious for its abuse of political prisoners, where foreign detainees and thousands face criminal charges.

However, the Oslo-based Iranian Human Rights Organization (IHR) said it would “reject” the official accounts, given the Islamic Republic’s “long history of hiding facts.”

Relatives of the prisoners and rights groups have expressed serious concern for the prisoners, saying Iranian security forces have used tear gas inside the correctional facilities.

The fire came after four weeks of protests over the death of Amini, 22, who was arrested on suspicion of violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

More protests took place on Sunday, including at Tehran and Shariati Universities, where women chanted “We are all Masa!”, followed by overnight rallies in several other parts of the capital. rice field.

She said some prisoners in Ward 8, which holds political detainees, were transferred to another prison.

Activists pointed to further confusion when state television announced that 40 people had been killed on Sunday, but just minutes later the initial death toll was back to four.

France said it was watching “with the utmost caution” the situation of its citizens “arbitrarily detained” in Evan.

– “Inciting Chaos” –

The EU has agreed to level new sanctions.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday accused President Joe Biden of “inciting chaos” after he voiced his support for the protests, and the head of the Revolutionary Guard said Western powers had threatened Iran. He accused them of carrying out a cultural “invasion” of schools.

The crackdown has resulted in the arrest of hundreds of ordinary protesters as well as dozens of civil society figures, including journalists, filmmakers and even athletes.

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