On Saturday night, eight people died in a fire at the Evin prison in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where guest lecturer at the Brussels VUB University Ahmadreza Djalali (49) is said to be held, announced the Iranian authorities.
According to the Iranian regime, the fire broke out on Saturday after mutiny in the prison, but this could not be independently verified. Eyewitnesses have reported multiple explosions, and thousands of videos shared on social media showed the chaos around the prison.
A previous assessment mentioned four fatalities, and 61 wounded, four of whom were seriously injured. "Four wounded died in hospital, bringing the balance to eight dead," Iran's Justice Department stated on its website. "All eight people who died were in prison for crimes related to theft."
Evin is considered a notorious prison where intellectual and political prisoners are incarcerated. The institution is known for its poor treatment of detainees
'Djalali is said to be unharmed'
Protesters who took part in the protests against the Iranian regime in recent weeks – following the death of Mahsa Amini (22), who died in hospital after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not wearing her headscarf correctly – are also being held there.
The prison also holds several people with dual citizenship for alleged espionage, reportedly including Iranian-Swedish VUB guest professor Djalali who has been sentenced to death.
In the meantime, the Tehran prosecutor stated that the "tumult" in the prison has nothing to do with the ongoing protest against the Iranian regime. The site of the riots has reportedly been separated from the part of the prison where detainees are in cells due to security concerns.
"Djalali is said to be in Evin and is unharmed," Djalali's colleague Gerlant Van Berlaer told Belga News Agency.
"His wife Vida Meh confirms this. She got the info through another channel." Djalali himself is not allowed to call his family from prison, but the info is seeping through other prisoners who are allowed to call their families.
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On Sunday morning, the Iranian opposition movement NCRI held a protest in front of the Iranian embassy, calling out the regime's "ceremonial tactics and attempts to kill political prisoners in Evin."
"As you have all heard, the regime has opened fire in Evin prison with the intention of mass killing of prisoners from the uprising," a press release stated.
"Ten days ago, the regime used the same tactic by setting fire to Rasht's Lakan prison, killing ten prisoners in the same way and injuring many others. The mullahs' criminal regime now claims that the fire was accidental and that everything is under control. While this is a big and deceptive lie."
The activists demand that the EU and governments take immediate action to "prevent the massacre of political prisoners," and want them to cut ties with the Iranian regime until repression is stopped and all prisoners of the uprising are released.
"EU ambassadors should leave Iran in protest. The EU should impose broad and effective sanctions against Iran's repressive regime."
