Iran on Sunday released security footage it said came from the Evin Prison the night a fire broke out that killed at least eight inmates, The Associated Press reported.
However, the purported CCTV footage of the mayhem last weekend only added to the mystery of what happened the night of the blaze at the detention facility.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency aired an interview with an unnamed top prison guard who claimed a riot broke out as prisoners convicted of financial crimes tried to escape. However, no unrest or violence is visible in the released CCTV footage.
The quick glimpses show crowds of detainees rushing through cell doors. Some men appear panicked as smoke fills the ward and a siren wails. A prisoner tries to break his cell lock with a fire extinguisher, while another tries with a mop. A man tries to damage a CCTV camera.
Evin Prison is known for holding political prisoners, including protesters from the demonstrations that have convulsed the country over the past five weeks.
The cryptic video and shifting explanations for what happened at the prison have sown doubt about the government's version of events. Officials initially said the unrest was stoked by "enemy agents" and some inmates who attempted to escape. They also claimed inmates set a sewing workshop on fire. However, noted AP, in numerous videos shared on social media, gunshots, explosions and protest chants can be heard.
The fire at the prison came 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.
Authorities have attempted to distance the events at the prison from the ongoing protests. The street violence has led to dozens of deaths, mostly of protesters but also members of the security forces.
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.
On Saturday, Iran's deputy interior minister Majid Mirahmadi said that the riots that followed the death of Amini have reached their "final days".