A fire at Iran’s most infamous prison left eight inmates dead, the nation’s judiciary announced Monday. The blaze at Evin prison in Tehran erupted on Saturday night as anti-government protests sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody continued for a fifth week. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency said the eight prisoners—who were all being held on theft charges—died from their injuries on Sunday. It also described the incident as a “fight between inmates and a fire,” though critics are skeptical of the authorities’ description of events after accounts of ongoing protests have radically differed from those of activists in attendance. The families of two Americans in Evin—Siamak Namazi and Emad Shargi—said their loved ones were safe as of Sunday morning. “We once again implore President Biden to do what he needs to get Emad out of danger and back home to the United States,” Shargi’s sister, Neda Shargi, tweeted Saturday.
