In a recent conflict between Israel and Iran, a significant incident occurred at Tehran’s infamous Evin prison, where scores of individuals, including prison staff, inmates, and an innocent bystander, lost their lives. This attack, conducted by Israel, took place just before a newly brokered ceasefire came into effect. On Sunday, Iran’s judiciary provided details of the human toll, which was corroborated by international human rights organizations, on the eve of the ceasefire’s one-week anniversary amidst ongoing distrust between the involved parties.
Spokesperson for the judiciary, Asghar Jahangir, revealed through the Mizan news agency that the attack claimed at least 71 lives, encompassing guards, soldiers, prisoners, and members of their families. Although the detailed breakdown of casualties wasn’t shared by Iranian officials, the activist group, Human Rights Activists in Iran, based out of Washington, specified that among the dead were 35 staff members and two prisoners. Tragically, others killed included a passerby and a woman visiting an official concerning her husband’s case.
The assault on June 23 led to extensive damage to several parts of the prison, raising alarms among human rights groups about the plight of the detainees. Israel’s specific motivation for targeting the prison is not entirely clear, though contemporaneously, their defense ministry stated it had been launching strikes on regime-associated targets within Tehran. Despite this incident, global focus swiftly shifted following an Iranian retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, which fortunately did not result in casualties, followed by the ceasefire announcement.
On the day of the strike, the Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in New York, criticized Israel for attacking a facility symbolic of the Iranian regime’s harsh treatment of dissenters, arguing that it breached international norms distinguishing military targets from civilian sites. This prison attack came towards the conclusion of a 12-day conflict period.
During this time before the armistice, Israel reported achieving strategic victories, claiming the lives of Iranian commanders and nuclear experts and hitting numerous nuclear and military installations. The conflict led to over a thousand deaths, with at least 417 reportedly being civilians, as reported by the Human Rights Activists group. Meanwhile, Iran’s response included firing more than 550 ballistic missiles aimed at Israel, with several managing to inflict damage and resulting in 28 casualties.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, addressed the United Nations in a letter, imploring the body to acknowledge the roles of Israel and the U.S. in allegedly initiating aggression against Iran. He argued this warranted international recognition and the need for compensation. Human rights advocates also criticized Iran for failing to adequately protect the detainees within Evin Prison post-strike, pointing to the lack of proper evacuation measures, medical aid, and communication with families.
Iranian officials finally revealed the death count at the prison, which had not been previously disclosed. Among those confirmed dead was Ali Ghanaatkar, a prominent prosecutor known for his contentious cases against dissidents, including notable individuals such as Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi. A major funeral took place in his honor as part of the weekend’s commemorative events.
Despite the ceasefire, Iranian leaders expressed skepticism regarding its longevity. Iran’s top military commander, Abdolrahim Mousavi, conveyed to Saudi Arabia’s defense minister that the nation remains on high alert, prepared for potential future aggressions from Israel. This preparedness comes amidst ongoing doubt about the ceasefire’s durability.
The extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s controversial nuclear program remains uncertain. While U.S. President Donald Trump claimed major destructiveness of the program by American strikes, Iranian officials dismissed these assertions as overblown. Rafael Grossi, leading the International Atomic Energy Agency, suggested that while the damage was considerable, Iran’s capacity to restart operations persists, urging for international inspection access, which Iran has yet to permit.