Iran: Eight inmates dead from prison fire amidst ongoing protests

Adding to the current unrest Iran is experiencing, a fire broke out in its Evin prison over the weekend. The death toll from the fire has gone up to eight, according to the Iranian judiciary.

The Iranian judiciary said Monday that eight inmates have died in the fire that broke out in Iran’s Evin prison, adding to the death toll from the blaze that added pressure on the Iranian government to respond amidst the protests that continue to take place all over the country.

The judiciary said that the blaze started Saturday by prisoners in a workshop after a fight, and those that died were due to inhaling smoke.

The judiciary said the fire was coming from a section of inmates convicted of robbery-related crimes.

The prison fire comes amidst ongoing protests following the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Morality Police. Amini was arrested and detained by the Morality Police for “inappropriate attire,” which sparked protests all over the country.

The protests over Amini’s death and several others are also seen as the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical rule since 1979, as protesters are calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic.

Tehran’s crackdown on the protests has also led to sharp condemnation from the international community, particularly from the United States and other countries in the West. Tehran has sought to blame the US and Israel for the unrest it is experiencing while also imposing internet restrictions.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Iran to stop the repression of the demonstrators and release those who have been detained for their participation in the protests after speaking with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

“People in Iran have the right to peaceful protest and to defend fundamental rights,” tweeted Borrell. “Violent repression must stop immediately. Protesters must be released. Internet access and accountability are needed.”

Iran has since been under even more intense scrutiny when Washington agreed with British and French reports that Iran’s supplying of drones to Russia violates a United Nations Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal.

This follows Ukrainian reports that Russia has been using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denied supplying Russia with drones.