Four Defendants in the 'Evin Prison Fire' Case Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison and 518 Lashes

The Tehran Criminal Court sentenced four defendants in the 'Evin Prison Fire' case, which occurred on the evening of October 15, 2022, to a total of 33 years in prison and 518 lashes. According to human rights sources, Branch 1148 of the Tehran Criminal Court, presided over by Jabbar Javadi-Rami, on Wednesday, June 19, sentenced Luqman Aminpour, Meysam Dehban-Zadeh, and Majid Roshan-Nejad each to eight years and eight months in prison and 148 lashes, while Reza Salman-Zadeh received a sentence of seven years in prison and 74 lashes. The charges against these prisoners include 'destruction of property', 'disruption of prison order', and 'defiance and rebellion against officials' orders'. The defendants have described all these charges as 'baseless' and rejected them. Luqman Aminpour wrote in a letter regarding this matter: 'If helping prisoners to save their lives and escape suffocation and burning alive is considered corruption on earth and disruption and rebellion, then I proudly accept these attributed charges.' According to this political prisoner, 'instead of seeking help from the fire department and rescue groups, prison officials called over 600 guards and special forces and plainclothes agents to attack the prisoners.' Following the fire in wards seven and eight of Evin Prison on the evening of October 15, 2022, during which gunfire and explosions were heard, nine prisoners lost their lives. Reports indicate that over 100 prisoners were shot at and beaten by officials during the fire, resulting in several deaths and injuries. A hearing regarding the charges against 40 defendants in the 'Evin Prison Fire' case was held on Tuesday, June 18, following a complaint by the Islamic Republic's Prison Organization. According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, the families of the deceased prisoners hold Evin Prison officials and security agencies responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and have stated that they have no complaints against the defendants. According to this report, the father of one of the deceased mentioned that his son was killed by three bullets, and other families of the victims emphasized that security officials and Evin Prison did not allow them to see their children's bodies. The aftermath of the 2022 Evin Prison fire; the judiciary is prosecuting 40 prisoners. Reza Salman-Zadeh suffered a stroke in prison; informed sources say officials are withholding information from his family. Arrest warrants have been issued for 40 individuals in the Evin Prison fire case. Fire and mine explosions around Evin; families of prisoners: 'There is fire in our hearts.'