On Monday June 23, Israel bombed Tehran’s Evin Prison, a detention facility in North Tehran, where dissidents, political prisoners, and dual and foreign nationals, are held along with other prisoners. Claiming that Evin was a “symbol of tyranny,” Israeli officials and Iranian monarchist, including Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Monarch of Iran, who are aligned with Israel, lauded the strikes. According to reports from Tehran, the death and injury toll has been high, though Iranians authorities have yet to disclose fully the number of dead and injured.
Destroying through multiple strikes the main entrance at the prison, administrative and reception halls as well as the visitation center, immediately raised fears and concerns among human rights defenders, about the lives and safety of prisoners. The UN called out Israel’s targeting of the prison, as a violation of International Humanitarian law.
The strikes took place during working hours, which represents one of the busiest times at Evin prison, when family members are visiting their loved ones, dropping off much needed supplies, and lawyers along with their clients are following up cases at the adjoining Shaid Moghaddas Judicial Complex, which has also been reported as severely damaged. The Judicial complex was especially busy as families, frightened for the safety of their loved ones given the raging war, had gone to the prison to plead for furloughs. According to reports, one woman who was at the Judicial Complex to post bail for her brother who was due to be released, was killed as a result of the bombings. Mehrangiz ImanPour, the ex-wife of Reza Khandan Mahabadi, a former political prisoner and member of the Iranian Writers Association, who lived in the neighborhood, was walking past Evin prison at the time the bombs hit the prison complex. She was killed as a result of the Israeli bombing.
Sharq Daily has reported that a number of administrative staff were killed as well as a number of young (18-22) conscripts, who were serving their mandatory service at Evin prison. The killing of these young conscripts has raised serious anger among Iranians, as so many families whose children have been forced to serve their mandatory military duty identify with the plight of these young men and their vulnerability. Young conscripts serving at Evin prison are charged with accompanying prisoners to the visitation halls to see their family members.
Other reports, coming from political prisoners inside Evin, indicate that the illegal Israeli strikes on Evin prison have injured prisoners, destroyed the infirmary, and have seriously damaged Ward 209, where political prisoners, including rights activists, are held. The women’s ward where female political prisoners, including some of the bravest WHRDs and rights defenders are imprisoned, has also been seriously damaged as a result of the strikes. Likewise Ward 8 of the men’s prison has suffered serious damage. .
Iranians have been calling on the IRI to release political prisoners, but it seems that Israel hates political prisoners, and rights defenders and anyone who can oppose their illegal war on Iran as much if not more than the Islamic republic does.
The bombing of Evin prison has also paved the way for the transfer of prisoners from Evin to Tehran Prison, something that prison and judiciary officials had been pushing to do for several years. The conditions at Tehran Prison are far worse than those at Evin prison, which as raised concerns among political prisoners, their family members and the human rights community. Additionally, human rights defenders have opposed the closure and demolition of Evin prison, the grounds of which have been sold to Shahid Beheshti University, claiming that the prison must be preserved so that at a later date investigations can be held to document human rights violations and atrocities carried out by the Islamic Republic. The transfer of prisoners out of Evin, paves the way for the turnover of the grounds to Shahid Beheshti University and the eventual demolishing of the prison as a whole.
Below, we have posted 2 dispatches from WHRDs, which have been shared with Femena. Both of the dispatches appear below as sent to us, with minor changes aimed at increasing clarity and reducing redundancy. The first dispatch is a reflection on what a WHRD witnessed at Evin Prison on June 23 shortly following the strikes by Israel. The second dispatch, sent to us on June 25, reports on how political prisoners have been transferred out of Evin prison to Tehran Prison and the conditions at Tehran Prison.
Dispatch 1: From Outside Evin Prison, Following the Bombing by Israel
I went to Evin prison today. I think the death toll must be extremely high. The visitation hall has been totally destroyed. They removed a number of bodies from the visitation hall, then they closed the doors and we could no longer see what was happening.
The visitation hall is usually very busy with lots of families and prisoners there at all times. So many of these young conscripts to the army also tend to be there, as they are charged with accompanying prisoners as they go to visit their families. Two of the female administrators charged with checking in visitors have been killed.
The infirmary has been totally destroyed. There are usually lots of prisoners in the infirmary along with the medical personnel. When the infirmary is completely destroyed that means that everyone in it has been killed.
The deputies in charge of health and culture at Evin prison have both been killed. Prisoners had good relations with both of these individuals.
A woman had gone to greet her brother, who was scheduled for release, but she was killed. Sharq Daily has reported that she is missing, but in reality this means that she has been butchered up into pieces and no trace of her can be found.
I am sure you heard too, that they bombed Ward 209 [where political prisoners are held]. One of the prisoners told me they saw several bodies being removed from Ward 209. They had prison clothes on.
Dispatch 2: From WHRD in Iran: Prisoners Moved from Evin Prison To Tehran Prison
I spoke to some of the family members of political prisoners at Evin. Our friends (Political Prisoners) have been moved to Tehran Prison. Prisoners from ward 8 and 4 have been moved to the same ward in the new prison, which is very small given the number of prisoners. The health and living conditions of the new prison are far worse than what the prisoners had at Evin prison.
You know that those in Evin had spent years trying to improve their living conditions; now they are being moved to a location that is much worse. They are facing serious problems in the new prison, which is not well equipped. For example, there are not enough utensils for eating, nor are there enough drinking glasses, so prisoners have to take turns eating and drinking. As such, these circumstances have increased fears about the spread of disease, and the prisoners are fearful that they may get sick.
The space for sleeping in the new prison is also limited. Prisoners have to take turns sleeping and resting. It seems impossible for such a large group of people to live in such small quarters.
What we hear is that the prisoners are desperately waiting for their belongings to be sent from Evin. They were not allowed to take their belongings with them. Political prisoners were moved under difficult and dehumanizing circumstances, with their hands and feet chained, which was also traumatizing. The situation was so bad that even the guards transferring them were upset about it.
The political prisoners are very upset about the transfers that resulted after the bombing of the prison by Israel, they say that they had created a more livable space over time for themselves at Evin; now they have to start anew with fewer resources and very limited capacity in an overcrowded new prison.
Prisoners in Ward 350 have also been moved from Evin Prison to the new prison.
Prisoners from Ward 7, which was the most damaged ward at Evin prison, have not yet been relocated to the new prison. We think this is because once they are moved, it will become clear how many have been killed or injured as a result of the Israeli bombings, and the news will quickly spread.
As you have already heard, many of the young 18-20-year-old conscripts have been killed, as well as the administrative staff at Eving prison. It seems clear that many of the prisoners have also been killed, but I am not sure why they don’t announce this.