Fire and Mine Explosion Around Evin; Families of Prisoners: A Fire Burns in Our Hearts

Mizan, the news agency of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic, reported on Friday, August 4, that parts of the grasslands around Evin Prison in Tehran caught fire due to "increased temperatures" and stated that this fire was "immediately" controlled. The report noted that the fire spread to the protected area of the hills surrounding Evin Prison, causing the explosion of several mines in the protected area. The report did not mention the number of mines that "exploded." The news agency, while posting a video on its Twitter account, indicated that firefighters had controlled the blaze around 8 PM on Friday, adding: "No damage was done to the facilities of Evin detention center." Previously, a fire had also occurred in Evin Prison on the evening of Saturday, October 15, 2022. The day after that fire, the Judiciary stated on October 16 that at least four people were killed in the incident, but in another statement, the number of fatalities was reported as eight. The Judiciary also stated that dozens were injured, with the condition of four being "critical." Nevertheless, some reports regarding this fire indicated protests in Ward 7 of Evin Prison and gunfire from security forces towards prisoners, followed by their assault on prisoners in Ward 8, where political prisoners were held. Meanwhile, following the fire on Friday around Evin, Saeed Parsaee, the husband of imprisoned journalist Elahe Mohammadi, tweeted: "Mines explode in Evin, fire breaks out. They say it is extinguished, but a fire burns in our hearts."