As per the reports, the prison, located in northern Iran, is known for the ill-treatment of political prisoners. The facility also holds foreign detainees.
New Delhi: Amid ongoing protests against hijab in Iran, clashes erupted in capital Tehran’s infamous Evin prison on Saturday night. As per the report, flames and smoke were seen billowing into the night sky and gunfire were heard from the notorious prison. The incident took place after the movement sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody a few weeks ago.
As per the reports, the prison, located in northern Iran, is known for the ill-treatment of political prisoners. The facility also holds foreign detainees. The government had sent hundreds of people who were arrested during the demonstrations over Amini’s death at the prison.
Video footage surfaced on various social media platforms also confirmed the incident at the prison. “Gunshots can be heard from Evin Prison and smoke can be seen,” a video tweet was made after the incident.
“As clashes continue at Evin Prison, the regime is massacring hundreds of people tonight in Tehran. My Dad is unfortunately there. My thoughts are with all Iranians who simply ask for freedom and life,” tweeted another person.
It may be noted that protests erupted after a young Iranian woman had on September 17 died a few days after she was detained by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly in public. While initially she slipped into a coma, she later died in the hospital. Later, activists had urged those responsible for her death to be brought to justice.
Twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini was on a visit with her family to the capital of Iran when she was detained on Tuesday. The Iranian state television said, “Unfortunately, she died and her body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office.”
A channel, which monitors violations in Iran, had said “she had suffered a blow to the head”. When the media spoke to her family, the latter said Amini was healthy and was rushed to the hospital a few hours after her arrest and later, she died.
A massive outrage was sparked off after Amini’s death and social media posts showed people gathering outside the hospital and shouting anti-establishment slogans even as the police were trying to disperse the crowd.
The Amnesty International had said, “The circumstances leading to the suspicious death in custody of 22-year-old young woman Mahsa Amini, which include allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, must be criminally investigated. The so-called ‘morality police’ in Tehran arbitrarily arrested her three days before her death while enforcing the country’s abusive, degrading and discriminatory forced veiling laws. All agents and officials responsible must face justice.”
