The Head of the Judiciary in Iran, Mohsen Ejei, confirmed in a statement on Monday that the fire that occurred in the Evin prison in the Iranian capital Tehran on Sunday night was perpetrated and carried out by a “group of enemy agents”.
“What happened in Evin prison is a crime carried out by a number of enemy agents,” Ejei said, explaining that, “during the incident, a number of prisoners set fire to one of the workshops that we established to provide job opportunities for prisoners in order to help their families, and the meeting hall in the prison was also burned down.”
He continued, “communication was secured between all prisoners and their families after the fire occurred,” stressing that “there is not a single prisoner left who did not call and reassure his family of his health”.
The Chief Justice also stated that “it is funny that the American president talks about Iran despite the many precedents of his country in committing crimes over the past decades against people around the world.”
In turn, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, commenting on the Evin prison fire yesterday, stressed that “taking unfounded positions and rushing to release judgments by the United States about the Evin prison fire is unacceptable”.
“Iran is a country that bears its responsibilities, and this could happen anywhere else,” Kanaani said.
In a report, Iranian television stated that “the purpose of setting fire to the sewing workshop in Evin prison was to secure the escape of some prisoners sentenced to prison on the backgrounds of crimes and robberies they carried out.”
Earlier, Tehran governor Mohsen Mansouri announced that “the fire in Evin prison has been contained and calm has returned to it.”
Kazem Gharibabadi, Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, visited Evin prison following the fire to inspect into the event.
“In my capacity as the Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, I just visited different sections of Evin Prison, including its health center. I also talked with the Head of the State Prisons Organization regarding the current situation of prisoners,” Gharibabadi posted on his Twitter account, adding that, “Clashes and fires broke out by those incarcerated in Ward No. 7, where thugs and prisoners convicted of violent crimes are held. Hopefully, the fires did not spread to other wards.”
Source: Iranian media (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
