Calm Restored in Tehran’s Evin Prison after Fire


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Firefighters and law enforcement forces have had a fire in the Evin Prison of Tehran under control and the situation is calm in the penitentiary, the governor of Tehran Province said.

Speaking to the state TV on Saturday night, Mohsen Mansouri said unrest broke out in the Evin Prison’s 7th and 8th blocks on Saturday evening, noting that the main riot took place in a block where thugs and gangsters are being kept.

The immediate presence of law enforcement forces, rescue and relief units, and special police forces resulted in the full restoration of calm to the prison, he stated.

The main problem was a fire started by a group of rioters and prisoners in the jail, the government noted, adding that the fire has been extinguished and controlled after the timely presence of firefighters and law enforcement units.

“The situation in the detention center is calm and under control,” Mansouri underlined.

Media reports suggested that the fire started at an entrepreneurial workshop of the prison following clashes between two groups of inmates convicted of burglary and financial crimes.