Four people were killed in a blaze at a notorious prison in the Iranian capital that houses political prisoners and anti-government protesters, the Iranian judiciary said on October 16.
The news comes after Iran criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for voicing support for the protests that have rocked Iran since a young woman was killed in police custody.
Flames and smoke rising from Tehran’s Evin prison were widely visible in the evening on October 15 as nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini entered a fifth week. In online videos, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area of the prison.
State media originally reported nine people were injured but the judiciary website Mizan.news on October 16 said four inmates died of smoke inhalation and 61 others were injured. It said all four who died were in prison on robbery convictions.