Conflict between Israel and Iran: Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of committing a war crime with its attack on Evin Prison
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing a war crime with its airstrikes on Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, on June 23, 2025. The attack, which occurred during visiting hours, resulted in significant casualties and extensive damage to various parts of the prison.
According to HRW, the strikes were indiscriminate in nature and lacked evident military targets, making them a violation of international humanitarian law. The attack resulted in at least 80 deaths, including prisoners, their family members, and prison staff. The strikes also damaged the visitation hall, central kitchen, and medical clinic.
In the aftermath of the attack, Iranian authorities allegedly subjected survivors to abuse and forcibly disappeared some of them. Detainees were reportedly beaten and threatened during transfers to other facilities. HRW documented these violations through interviews with family members and informed sources, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by prisoners.
The incident has raised severe concerns about the treatment of political prisoners in Iran, many of whom were wrongfully detained. HRW has called for a full investigation into the attack and the subsequent treatment of prisoners by Iranian authorities.
The Israeli army justified the attack as a targeted strike on regime enemies engaged in counter-espionage within the prison. However, HRW considered the strikes illegal and indiscriminate, constituting a war crime. The organisation also denounced the terrible detention conditions of the evacuated prisoners, blaming Iranian authorities for their refusal to communicate about certain detention locations, which Human Rights Watch denounces as equivalent to enforced disappearances.
The situation in the evacuated prison was overcrowded, dirty, and without basic hygiene facilities, according to HRW. The organisation has called on UN member states to pressure the Iranian government to halt any plans to execute death row inmates and release all arbitrarily detained prisoners.
The attack on Evin Prison, which held political prisoners, resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries. Over 1,500 prisoners, including many activists and dissidents, were likely being held at Evin prison at the time of the attack. HRW has called for a thorough investigation into war law violations committed by Israeli and Iranian forces during the June 13-25 conflict.
The Israeli offensive against Iran resulted in over 1,000 deaths, including 80 at Evin Prison. The Israeli army's justification for the attack on Evin Prison was met with criticism, as the prison is not a military target. The Israeli army's actions have been denounced as a violation of international humanitarian law, and HRW has called for accountability for those responsible.
In its second report, Human Rights Watch denounces the "ill-treatment" and "violence" inflicted by Iranian authorities on Evin prison detainees. The organisation also criticises the refusal by Iranian authorities to communicate about certain detention locations, which Human Rights Watch denounces as equivalent to enforced disappearances. The fate of the evacuated prisoners is unknown.
The attack on a prison, which held political prisoners, resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries. The Human Rights Watch has called for a thorough investigation into war law violations committed by Israeli and Iranian forces during the June 13-25 conflict. The organisation has also called on UN member states to pressure the Iranian government to halt any plans to execute death row inmates and release all arbitrarily detained prisoners.
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