Death toll in clashes, fire at Iran’s Evin Prison rises to 8

TEHRAN (AA) – Four more prisoners injured in clashes and a fire at Tehran’s high-security Evin Prison have died, bringing the death toll to eight, according to the country’s judiciary.

The Iranian judiciary’s media center said the four inmates died at a hospital due to the “severity of their condition,” while six others remain under treatment.

It said all eight victims were serving prison sentences for crimes related to theft and that their families had been informed of their deaths.

On Sunday evening, the judiciary had announced that four prisoners had died and 61 others sustained injuries.

The deaths occurred due to the “inhalation of smoke” as a result of the fire, the statement said.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the compound, followed by the sound of explosions and gunfire.

State-run news agency IRNA initially reported clashes between inmates and staff at the prison, adding that some prisoners set a warehouse of clothes on fire, putting the number of the injured at eight.

On Sunday, conflicting reports emerged about the incident, with different news sources making different claims.

Evin Prison is the biggest detention center in the Iranian capital and holds thousands of prisoners, including many arrested in recent protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.

In a statement on Sunday, the US Department of State said it was following reports from Evin Prison “with urgency.”

“We are in contact with the Swiss as our protecting power. Iran is fully responsible for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who should be released immediately,” the statement said.