Rebel in Urmia prison after a prisoner set himself on fire
26-November-2020
Category: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement, November 25, 2020: On Wednesday, November 25, after an inmate caught himself on fire, hundreds of prisoners rioted in front of the guardian office in Urmia Prison. Soon after that, Special Forces entered the prison and beat the prisoners.
According to Hangaw Human Rights Organization, on November 24 afternoon, a prisoner named Hojjat Kazemnejad set himself on fire in front of the prison’s guardian office in Urmia Central Prison, to protest against his case status as well as not being released despite serving his one-year sentence. According to the report, he had one of his legs severely injured.
As per the report quoting an informed source, the prisoner, who is being held in dormitory 1-2, set himself on fire for the second time at 4 pm and as he was being beaten by the prison security forces, the other prisoners reacted and clashed with security forces.
Following the rebel in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4, where more than 1,000 prisoners are being held, the prison authorities closed the prison gates and banned any movement in and out of the hall. Then Special Riot Guards entered the wards and beat the inmates.
Prisoners in these four wards, on the other hand, broke all of the doors and windows and set fire to their blankets in a way that smoke and the smell of burning blankets pervaded the entire prison.
According to the report, the reason for the prisoners’ revolt was not being granted leave or parole as well as the high price of goods in-prison store.