Evin Prison on Fire
Situated in the northern part of the capital Tehran is the notorious Evin prison, where from the Shah’s era, political prisoners were kept in there. During the Shah many of those who opposed the Shah, especially those who took up arms and established a guerrilla style armed resistance, Che Guara style were imprisoned there. At the time of the revolution in 1978-79 there were rumors that thousands of political prisoners are kept in Evin and there were tunnels underneath where prisoners are being tortured.
On the wake of the revolution, people headed by some of the young revolutionaries attacked the prison, and took over it. what they found was about 300 prisoners in all. No tunnels or dungeon. As the revolution turned Islamic, Evin went under the control of the most notorious people who had a free hand to imprison, torture, and execute whoever they thought is against their style of government. In years to come, Evin witnessed the imprisonment of thousands of young men and women, teenagers and kids who didn’t know why they were there. In the process of many years, Evin was governed by a the Notorious criminal, Lajvardi, who executed thousands including young girls.
later in the years, Lajvardi was replaced by another governor as notorious as him. Evin remained a hub of intellectuals, lawyers, writers, filmmakers, women activists and human rights defenders. Evin remained the evil eye of the Islamic regime in Iran. No one knows how many people are being kept in there at any given time,
Women have a prominent place at Evin as they are being kept in there for their courage to challenge the Islamic regime. In recent weeks and after the tragic death of the young, Kurdish girl by the Morality police and the uprising of people against the Killing of Mahsa Amini, Evin has been filled to the capacity by protestors, young girls who have gone on the streets protesting against the compulsory hejab and the seath of Mahsa Amini and many more murders of young girls.
Last night, we heard the horrific news of Evin being set on fire and gun shots were also heard in and around the prison. No one knows how many have burnt and injured in the fire or whether taken to hospital. No one knows the reason for the fire. Was it deliberate to burn down the cream of the Iran’s personalities?
I often wonder and wish that in 1978, we should have demolished that symbol of ugliness in humanity. We should have built a park, a rose garden to the memory of all prisoners with their names on every tree and branch. we should have…..
