Middle East & Africa | A symbolic fire catches on

Iran’s protests spread, as a notorious prison burns

The clerics’ regime dithers as opposition to it widens

TOPSHOT - A picture obtained from the Iranian Mizan News Agency on October 16, 2022 shows damage caused by a fire in the notorious Evin prison, northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran. - At least four Iranian inmates died in a fire in Tehran's notorious Evin prison overnight, the judiciary said, further stoking tensions one month into protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Gunshots and explosions were heard during the blaze from inside the complex, illuminated by flames and smothered by smoke, in video footage posted on social media channels. (Photo by Koosha MAHSHID FALAHI / MIZAN / AFP) (Photo by KOOSHA MAHSHID FALAHI/MIZAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The terror was worst for those trapped in solitary cells the size of tables. The fire began in a basement sewing workshop and spread through Evin prison, crammed with protesters detained in the past month of unrest. Guards fired tear-gas and bullets into the smoke to force back those trying to escape. They shot at prisoners who had climbed onto the roof to breathe—and to chant against their jailers. Beyond Evin’s walls, Iranians in their thousands echoed their cries and honked their car horns.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The ayatollahs dither amid the fire”

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