At least 20 killed, 41 wounded in prison fire in Mashad
-Mullahs' regime abducts 42 ex-political prisoners in Orumieh

New reports on the suspicious fire on Tuesday, July 14, in Vakil-Abad prison in Mashad, capital of northeastern province of Khorassan, say that at least 20 inmates were killed and 41 injured in the tragic incident. So far, 17 of the dead have been identified.

Those injured, many of whom are in critical condition, have been transferred to Mashad's Qa'em hospital. Fearing a public backlash, the mullahs claimed only seven people died in the fire.

The fire began at 8:30 a.m. and lasted for four hours. The third floor of Ward 4 burned down completely. The fire broke out when many of the prisoners were sleep and could not escape the blaze.

Due to a lack of fire-fighting equipment and negligence by prison officials, the fire which began at a workshop quickly spread to other wards.

In another development, in recent weeks, the clerical regime has abducted 42 ex-political prisoners in Orumieh, capital of West Azerbaijan province, and refused to give any information about their fate to their families.

The Iranian Resistance draws the attention of human rights organizations to the fate of these prisoners and calls for urgent action to save their lives.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 17, 1998

Back Home