Videos Show Iran's Evin Prison in Flames as Gunfire Heard Amid Unrest

Iran's notorious Evin Prison—where political prisoners are routinely held—caught fire Saturday evening as what sounded like gunfire could be heard, according to multiple videos circulating widely on social media.

Protesters have taken to the streets across Iran since mid-September, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being detained by the Islamic Republic's so-called morality police for allegedly violating the nation's conservative modesty laws. The anti-government demonstrations have been met with a fierce crackdown—as more than 200 people, including as many as 32 children, have been killed, according to U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Evin Prison is reportedly crowded and regularly houses political dissidents. Video shared to Twitter showed the facility in flames as the sound of gunshots echoed in the background.

Borzou Daragahi, an international correspondent for British news site The Independent, shared several videos. He wrote: "the infamous fortress where Tehran's political prisoners are warehoused, is on fire today, October 15, with reports of gunfire from the facility."

"This is alarming: Tonight, Evin Prison in Tehran. We hear gunshots & see fire smoke. There is not much info abt what's happening inside. The Islamic Republic is responsible for all those lives unjustly behind bars," Omid Memarian, communications director at DAWN MENA, tweeted, sharing a clip.

Daraghi reported in follow-up posts that regime forces were "racing toward the burning" prison instead of "ambulances or fire trucks," citing a video clip. He added that there was "not an emergency vehicle to be heard." In another post, the correspondent reported that "terrified relatives of prisoners" gathered outside of Evin.

"They speak of explosions and fear for their loved ones," he added. Daraghi said that the crowded prison "is a massive compound more like a city within a city." In other clips shared to social media, people could reportedly be heard chanting "down with the dictator."

Evin largely holds detainees facing security charges, according to Reuters. The prison has also faced criticism from Western rights groups. In 2018, the U.S. government accused the prison of committing "serious human rights abuses." Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has previously accused authorities at Evin of threatening torture and indefinite imprisonment.

Iranian media reported a couple hours after the videos circulated that the fire had been extinguished and contained. The Tasnim News Agency reported that there was a conflict at the prison, but it was now under control.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek that the administration is closely monitoring the situation at the prison and the "danger it poses to its many detainees." The spokesperson said the priority for the department is the security of U.S. citizens who are "wrongfully detained in Iran," asserting that their "safety and rights must be ensured."

"We are working with partners, many of whom also have detained citizens at Evin, to remind Iran of its responsibility for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens," the representative said. "We reiterate our call for the immediate release of all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens."

Iran has been rocked by unrest since mid-September when Amini, a Kurdish woman, was accused by police of breaking a law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf, and their arms and legs with loose clothing. Since she died on September 16, protests have erupted throughout the Persian Gulf nation.

The demonstrations have been described as the largest in Iran since 2019, when security forces violently cracked down on protesters that were marching against high gas prices and the regime of Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. During those protests, 1,500 people were killed, Reuters reported.

"Iran has to end the violence against its own citizens simply exercising their fundamental rights," President Joe Biden said of the recent Iranian protests during remarks in California on Friday. "I want you to know that we stand with the citizens, the brave women of Iran, for real, for real."

The president added that Iranians "right now are demonstrating to secure their very basic, fundamental rights."

Newsweek reached out to Iranian analysts for comment.

Update 10/15/2022, 4:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 10/15/2022, 7:27 p.m. ET: Comments from the State Department were added.