On June 23, Evin prison became the epicenter of an airstrike campaign that served to galvanize the local populace, including critics of the ruling regime, against Israel. The aftermath of the aerial assault manifested as collapsed ceilings, demolished walls, and reduced wooden furniture within the visiting area. Papers, once vibrant and full of life, now lay burnt and strewn amidst broken bricks and mismatched wires in the administrative structure. In the infirmary, remnants of once whole glass shards lay scattered across patient beds and medical apparatus.
Situated within the heart of Tehran, Evin prison has etched itself indelibly in Iran’s collective psyche as a monument to repression. Its chilling reputation seeps beyond national frontiers and into the global consciousness. Over five decades, from the era of the shahs to the current theocratic regime, Evin has been the go-to establishment for quelling dissent through detention, questioning, maltreatment, and capital punishment.
When Israel targeted the notorious facility with missile payloads on June 23, the resounding backlash from the populace extended even to those who regularly questioned the prevailing authoritarian rule. This offensive marked the deadweight event of the 12-day military skirmish between Israel and Iran.
Istanbul declared the death toll from the attack to be 79 along with a substantial number of injuries, but these figures are anticipated to climb further. Among the victims were visitors who had come to meet their incarcerated kin, individuals dispensing social services, a learned barrister, healthcare professionals, a child barely five years of age, young soldiers posted at the entrances as a part of their compulsory military duty, administrative personnel and residents of the region. The sources of this account span across the Iranian media outlets, activist organizations, and human rights advocacy groups.
Post the attack, a ward that housed nearly 100 transgender inmates has reportedly been annihilated, and prison authorities fear the worst. Prominent amongst the deceased were Ali Ghanaatkar, Evin Prison’s chief prosecutor, notorious amongst the general populace for his approach towards handling political captives, and one of his associates. The Israeli defense forces have not released a statement regarding the casualties or the motivations behind the assault.
The Israeli administration has deemed the assault on Evin as a feature of symbolism. However, the narrative within Iran narrates a different tale. Inmates, relatives, activists, and legal practitioners suggested that Israel’s actions displayed a blatant disregard for the welfare and safety standards of those held in confinement. They further professed that the mid-day timing amidst work hours meant the facility was replete with a gamut of visitors, legal representatives, and healthcare and administrative personnel.
Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, an iconic figure within the Iranian human rights advocacy circles, labelled the attack as an evident ‘war crime’, perpetrated in broad daylight amidst the presence of families and visitors. Echoing a similar sentiment was Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, held captive at Evin Prison for eight years on allegations of spying. He voiced the predicament of the inmates, caught between a malevolent regime’s oppressive tactics and a foreign power loosing bombs upon them.
The international human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, instructed Iran to unconditionally release political captives and commented on the possible classification of Israel’s raid on Evin Prison as a war crime through Persian social media. This was followed by Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, declaring the offensive as a ‘grave violation of international humanitarian law’.
The details of the attack and the ensuing devastation have been compiled through a variety of sources. Interviews with the kin of Evin’s prisoners, the legal counsel representing them, individuals formerly incarcerated and in touch with the current prisoners, testimonies penned by the inmates, footage captured by independent journalists and numerous Iranian media reports have all contributed to this account.