Chaos at Iran's Infamous Prison: Evin Post-Israeli Attack
Prison attack aftermath: Iran announces 71 fatalities a week later.
Tehran (dpa) - A week after Israel's devastating strike on Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, many families are left in anguish, uncertain about the fate of their imprisoned relatives. According to Justice spokesman Asghar Jahangir of the justice portal Mizan, at least 71 people lost their lives in the attack. Among the deceased are prison staff, conscripts, inmates, and relatives of inmates. Sadly, the leadership in Tehran has denied access to the prison, making it impossible to independently verify the death toll.
Evin Prison: A Symbol of Oppression
On Monday, the Israeli Air Force bombarded parts of Evin Prison, claiming it symbolically targeted Iran's government. Initial reports suggest that administrative buildings were primarily destroyed. However, little information has been made public regarding the extent of damage to the building, the prisoners' condition, or the identities of the deceased. In fact, a tour of the prison for journalists scheduled for today was suddenly canceled.
Evin Prison in northern Tehran has built a nationwide reputation as a place where political prisoners are subjected to torture and abuse. It's where demonstrators participating in anti-government protests were often imprisoned. Critics and former inmates have strongly condemned the attack on the prison, arguing it endangered the lives of political prisoners. Even Europeans are among those detained within its walls.
Uncertainty for Relatives
Reports indicate that a children's rights activist revealed the attack targeted an administrative building. The explosions struck the prosecutor's office, the medical area, and the visitor's hall, where many soldiers and lawyers were present. Media sources claim that the prosecutor Ali Ghanatkar, involved in the conviction of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, also lost his life in the attack.
The uncertainty haunting the relatives of the prisoners is particularly distressing. Many have voiced their concerns on social media, employing the hashtag #WhereIsOurPrisoner to demand greater transparency from the judiciary.
Prisoners Transferred to Less Ideal Conditions
There are rumors suggesting that prisoners were also transferred to other prisons, where human rights activists argue conditions may be even worse than in the notorious Evin Prison.
During a twelve-day war between Iran and Israel, more than 620 people have reportedly died on the Iranian side, according to official figures, including over 20 high-ranking commanders. Meanwhile, the US-based human rights network HRANA reported nearly 1,200 deaths. The activists based their numbers on information from informants and public sources. In Israel, 28 people were killed in Iranian attacks.
Enrichment Data
The current state of the Evin Prison and the imprisoned following the Israeli Air Force attack is as follows:
- The bombing on June 23, 2025, resulted in significant structural damage within Evin Prison, causing chaos and tension around the area.
- In the aftermath, Evin Prison was placed under intense military lockdown with a heavy presence of special forces and security vehicles.
- Hundreds of political prisoners were forcibly transferred from wards 4, 7, and 8 to prisons like Qarchak Prison in Varamin and the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary (also called Fashafouyeh). These transfers ignored Iranian legal standards and international human rights norms.
- Reports indicate increased repression inside the prison, including attacks on injured detainees and threats from Iranian security forces. The situation has raised fears of enforced disappearances.
- The opaque response from Iranian authorities has sparked public concern about the safety of political prisoners who face grave risks like being sent to overcrowded prisons or even falsely charged with capital offenses.
- In the wake of the Israeli Air Force's attack on Evin Prison, a symbol of war-and-conflicts and politics in Iran, many families are left uncertain about the fate of their imprisoned relatives, causing general-news concern over the conditions and safety of political prisoners.
- After the bombing of Evin Prison, where many political prisoners were subjected to torture and abuse, there are rumors that prisoners were forcibly transferred to other prisons under harsher conditions, further fueling concerns for their safety and rights, and stirring debates on war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news issues.
