Around 80 people were killed in the attack on the prison, including prisoners, family members, staff, and guards, during Israel’s war with Iran.
More than 100 prisoners at Tehran’s Evin prison may now face execution in a rushed process, as part of a revenge campaign led by the Iranian regime against its opponents, who are accused of spying for Israel.
The Israeli strike on Evin, which occurred the day before the ceasefire that ended the round of fighting between Israel and Iran in June, left dozens dead and a much harsher reality for the political prisoners who survived.
According to reports, these prisoners are at risk of expedited executions based on confessions extracted under torture and fabricated evidence.
Around 80 people were killed in the attack on the prison, including prisoners, family members, staff, and guards. Israel claims it targeted the prison’s staff and the forces operating it, even sending a warning to some of the guards.
However, these guards managed to escape without sharing the information and failed to evacuate the prisoners from their cells.
A political prisoner who was there described the situation to the UK Sunday Times, saying, “We became human shields. I thought this was the last moment of my life.”
In the aftermath of the fighting, according to eyewitnesses and legal sources in Iran, a “spirit of revenge” overtook the judicial system.
Judges expedited processes and approved executions without presenting evidence, based on confessions obtained through torture and fabricated investigation files. “The judges do not even allow lawyers to present arguments,” said a Tehran-based lawyer.
Upwards of 700 people arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel
The regime declared that during the fighting, 700 people were arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel and promised to deal with them “ruthlessly.” Meanwhile, the organization Iran Human Rights reported that by May of this year, 511 people had been executed, a 96% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The bombing also disrupted life within the prison. Evin, known for years as a symbol of repression and torture of regime opponents, but also as a hub of resistance referred to as the “Evin University,” lost its status. According to reports, the institution, which had been “managed” by prisoners, lost its position after the strike.
In the past, prisoners had managed to maintain solidarity, prevent executions from within, and even organize protests and hunger strikes inside the prison.
Following the Israeli strike, 61 political prisoners were transferred to another facility, known for its poor sanitation, unbearable heat, overcrowding, and lack of medical care. Others were transported to “safe houses” of the Intelligence Ministry, where they are not officially registered, and all legal oversight disappeared as if it never existed.
Eyewitnesses reported that during the bombing, the prisoners were locked in the yard and effectively used as human shields. Motahareh Goonei, one of the prisoners, said she was later transferred to a “safe house,” where she was interrogated under severe threats.
She was released on bail but sentenced to 21 months in prison for “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” A short post she published at the outbreak of the war, in which she blamed the leadership for starting “hell,” served as grounds for her conviction.
Male prisoners were also transferred between various facilities. 500 of them were returned to Evin after being held in an alternative facility, where they were severely beaten and tortured. About 100 death-row inmates were forcibly separated from the rest of the prisoners.
Among the beaten was Mohammad Baqer Bakhtiar, a former senior commander in the Revolutionary Guards who opposed the regime. His son reported that his father was not receiving medical treatment and that the extent of his injuries had yet to be determined.
The strike on Evin, according to sources in Israel, aimed to damage the regime’s machinery and encourage the opposition. Israel denied harming prisoners and claimed Iran was exploiting the event for internal propaganda and political witch hunts.
However, testimonies, photographs, and documentation from the scene indicate that at least six major areas in the prison were significantly damaged, including administrative wings, visitation rooms, and prisoner cells.
For many in the Iranian opposition, this strike was a fatal blow. “Israel wanted to demonstrate power,” said Goonei, “but it was a mistake. Evin is not just a prison; it was the beating heart of the resistance to the regime.”