Kylie Moore-Gilbert fears for her friends stuck in Evin prison,which was set on fire amid Iran’s civil uprising.Credit: Scott McNaughton
“It looks completely horrific,” said Moore-Gilbert,who was released from Evin in November 2020.
“You’ve got huge plumes of smoke and guards projecting missiles into the prison,presumably to try and prevent a mass breakout or put a lid on the unrest. The idea of being locked in a ward and smelling fire and smoke and hearing uproar around you and not knowing what’s going on or not being able to escape or get out or protect yourself must be terrifying.”
Iran’s state-run IRNA reported there were clashes between prisoners in one ward and prison personnel,citing a senior security official. The official said prisoners set fire to a warehouse full of prison uniforms,which caused the blaze. He said the “rioters” were separated from the other prisoners to de-escalate the conflict.
The official said that the “situation is completely under control” and that firefighters were extinguishing the flames. Later,Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said that “peace” had returned to the prison and that the unrest was not related to the protests which have swept the country for four weeks.
Videos posted online showed shots ringing out as plumes of smoke rose into the sky amid the sound of an alarm. A protest broke out on the street soon after,with people burning tyres and chanting. Motorists beeped their horns to show solidarity with the protesters. Ambulances and fire trucks rushed towards the prison. The internet was blocked in the area.
The prison fire occurred as protesters intensified anti-government demonstrations along main streets and at universities in some cities across Iran on Saturday. Human rights monitors reported hundreds dead,including children,as the movement concluded its fourth week.