SUSS

CCTV Footage Adds to Iran Prison Fire Mystery

Facing international pressure, Iran released video showing how a fire ripped through a jail holding political prisoners. But questions remain.

Security footage released by one of Iran’s most notorious prisons has raised more questions as it faces global pressure to clarify how at least eight inmates were killed during a fire. Evin Prison, known for holding political prisoners, went up in flames last on Oct. 15, and now suspicion is mounting that it was a government plot to fake a jailbreak to kill prisoners. Demonstrations have spread after the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in suspicious circumstances after she was arrested for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the country’s strict Islamic codes. Many of those arrested during the demonstrations were at the prison when the fire broke out, with Iran International citing a witness who said the number of those killed is much higher. Under international pressure, Iran released footage from the prison during the fire, but according to the Associated Press, which viewed the video, “the purported CCTV footage of the mayhem last weekend only added to the mystery of what happened the night of the blaze at the detention facility.” AP says Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency aired an interview with an unnamed top prison guard “who claimed a riot broke out as prisoners convicted of financial crimes tried to escape.” However, “no unrest or violence is visible in the released CCTV footage.” The footage instead shows panicked prisoners attempting to break prison locks with a mop or fire extinguisher, stoking more doubts over the government’s version of events.