Tehran prison blaze kills 4 inmates

Jail Houses Political Prisoners & Anti-Government Activists

A towering blaze at a notorious prison housing political prisoners and anti-government activists in Iran's capital killed four inmates, the country's judiciary said on Sunday, in dramatic scenes that have reverberated across Iranian social media.

Flames and thick smoke rising from Tehran's Evin Prison had been visible on Saturday evening, as nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the death of a woman in police custody entered a fifth week. In online videos, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area of the prison.