Hundreds dead or injured in Ghezel Hesar prison clashes

Persian2English — According to the HRANA group, at least 150 prisoners are dead or injured after bloody clashes erupted in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar prison on the night of March 15th. Thousands of prisoners from units 2 and 3 launched a protest after hearing the news of plans to execute ten inmates.

During the protest approximately 3,000 prisoners attempted to break the doors of their cells while chanting, “Executions must stop.” Security forces attacked the prison cells, resulting in bloody clashes and the transfer of some prisoners from their cells. Reports indicate that prison guards used live ammunitions to control the protesters. Consequently, nearly eighty prisoners were seriously injured or killed, but the number of those shot is at 150 or higher. A handful of officers along with the deputy warden of the prison, Mr. Safakhil suffered leg injuries during the clashes. The prisoners who protested are either serving a heavy sentence or facing imminent execution.

The Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners reported on March 16th that some people attacked the prison from the outside in an attempt to free some of the detainees. According to these reports, some prisoners escaped. The news of the escapes has not been confirmed by other sources.

The latest news indicates that Ghezel Hesar prison is under lock down after riot police forces entered the grounds. On March 19th, the RAHANA group reported that phone privileges have been cut off for prisoners until further notice. Yesterday morning, some prisoners were able to make brief phone calls to their families, but by noon, all communication was cut off.

The Iranian regime’s Fars News Agency reported that after destructing the prison facilities, breaking windows, and attacking the guards, protesters attempted to escape the prison. The report did not mention the use of live ammunitions against the protesters, but did confirm the death of a few inmates as a result of “inflected injuries and smoke inhalation.”

On March 16th, the Reuters news agency reported 14 deaths and 33 injuries, citing Iran’s State TV as the source.