A fire broke out on Saturday at Iran’s notorious Evin prison, which holds political prisoners, and shots and an alarm could be heard from the compound, The Guardian reported.
State media quoted a security official, who was not named, who said the situation at the prison in the capital, Tehran, was “calm” after unrest in a section of the jail holding “thugs”.
The judiciary’s official website, Mizan Online, said that a section of the prison caught fire “following a fight between several detainees”. Citing the prison service, the website said police were “called on to help prison guards restore calm in Evin as quickly as possible” and that the fire had been put out.
The first reports of gunfire were at 7.30 p.m. local time as protests continue to sweep across the country.
A witness told Reuters, “Families of prisoners have gathered in front of the main door of Evin prison. I can see fire and smoke. Lots of special forces. Ambulances are here too.”
The prison, which mostly holds detainees facing security charges, has long been criticized by western rights groups and was blacklisted by the US government in 2018 for “serious human rights abuses”.
The fire at the prison comes as protests across Iran continue following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in police custody after she was arrested by the morality police for wearing her hijab improperly.
The street violence has led to dozens of deaths, mostly of protesters but also members of the security forces.
Human rights groups say more than 200 people have been killed in the crackdown nationwide, including teenage girls whose deaths have become a rallying cry for more demonstrations demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic.
Iran has blamed the violence on enemies at home and abroad, including armed separatists and Western powers, accusing them of conspiring against the Islamic Republic and denying security forces have killed protesters.