Iranian state media reports on a tragic Israeli strike on Evin Prison, resulting in significant casualties among detainees and prison staff. Human rights organizations express outrage over conditions in the facility, exacerbating tensions in the region.
Casualties of Conflict: Israeli Strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison Reports 71 Lives Lost
Casualties of Conflict: Israeli Strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison Reports 71 Lives Lost
An Israeli attack on Tehran's Evin Prison results in the deaths of 71 individuals, raising concerns over human rights and political repression.
Iranian state media has reported that an Israeli attack on Evin Prison, a highly infamous detention facility in Tehran, resulted in the death of 71 individuals. The incident occurred on June 23 and included a mix of detainees, visiting relatives, and prison personnel. A spokesperson for Iran’s judiciary, Asghar Jahangir, confirmed the casualties through the state news agency IRNA but refrained from naming specific individuals, which has heightened anxiety among the families of the detainees, as many have lost communication with their loved ones since the strike.
This lengthy, notorious prison contains a significant number of political prisoners, encompassing opposition figures, human rights advocates, journalists, and dual-national detainees accused of espionage. Human rights organizations assert that Evin is characterized by severe human rights violations, including systematic torture, executions, and pervasive mistreatment of inmates.
In response to the attack, Israel's defense ministry offered no remarks, while the Israeli military did not respond to inquiries regarding Jahangir’s declarations, which remain unverified by independent sources. The military's assault on the prison was part of a broader military campaign that targeted various installations linked to Iran during a recent 12-day war that concluded with a cease-fire.
Reports from Iranian health authorities indicate that over 600 Iranians have died throughout the conflict. Following the Israeli strike on Evin Prison, news emerged detailing the death of Ali Ghanaatkar, a prominent prosecutor at the facility known for handling high-profile cases, including those of dissidents like Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi and British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliff. These ongoing developments are likely to compound existing tensions and raise pressing questions about the treatment of political prisoners in Iran amid escalating geopolitical unrest.
