Iran’s central prison, which holds political prisoners, went up in flames on Saturday as inmates fled the facility and guards reportedly opened fire on them.
The infamous Evin Prison is located in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and has long been used to hold opponents of the regime. In recent weeks, hundreds of people have been taken to the facility to protest the death of 22-year-old Masa Amini.
However, state media deny that the fire has anything to do with the protests.
At least four prisoners were killed and more than 60 injured in the incident, according to the BBC.
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The blaze is largely under control, so much of the prison is still intact on Sunday. State officials say the fire was confined to the “petty criminal” wing.
The flames came a month after nationwide protests in Iran as citizens outraged by Amini’s death demanded an end to dictator Ali Khamenei’s rule.
Local reports said chants of “death to the dictator” were heard around the prison on Saturday night. Authorities closed road access to the facility and reportedly cut off internet access in the area. This is a common tactic for the regime.
Amini was killed at the hands of Iran’s morality police on September 16 after being arrested for improperly wearing a hijab. She was seriously injured and taken to hospital in a coma. Authorities claimed she simply collapsed while in her custody.
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watchdog group says hundreds of people were killed In protests involving some administration officials. However, Iran’s restrictions on internet access have made it difficult to ascertain casualty figures.