In a dramatic turn of events in Tehran, Iranian dissident Sayeh Seydal narrowly avoided death when Israeli missiles struck the infamous Evin Prison, just moments after she had left the prison’s clinic. The June 23 attack devastated the facility, one of Iran’s most notorious for holding political prisoners, and resulted in the deaths of at least 71 individuals, including prison staff, soldiers, visiting family members, and local residents, according to Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir. Survivors, including Seydal, were quickly moved to overcrowded prisons outside Tehran, known for their harsh conditions.
Reachable after several days, Seydal communicated to her family about her dire predicament. In a recorded call shared by her relatives, she described her conditions as a “slow death.” Seydal lamented that, although the bombing by the U.S. and Israel spared them, the subsequent transfer by the Islamic Republic placed them in an environment poised to deliver the same grim fate.
The political landscape in Iran has become increasingly volatile. Pro-democracy and rights activists harbor fears of an intensified state crackdown as a result of Israel’s 12-day aerial offensive on Iran’s nuclear program. This breach in security has reportedly escalated the government’s efforts to suppress dissenters. Families of political prisoners in Evin have been plunged into uncertainty, struggling to ascertain the status of their incarcerated loved ones. Some, especially those previously held in solitary confinement or under interrogation, remain unaccounted for.
Veteran activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Narges Mohammadi, has expressed concern about the deteriorating political space. She conveyed through a video message from Tehran that Iran’s path to democracy requires robust tools to empower civil society and the women’s movement, tools weakened by the turmoil of war. Mohammadi noted an increased security presence in the capital, further constraining political freedoms.
Accompanying these fears is the looming shadow of mass executions, reminiscent of the post-Iran-Iraq war purges in 1988, when authorities executed thousands of political prisoners post-haste. During the Israeli military campaign, Iran executed six inmates sentenced to death prior to the conflict. There has been a noted rise in detentions as well, with the Human Rights Activists in Iran documenting nearly 1,300 arrests in under two weeks—primarily accusations of espionage and dissemination of sensitive information on social media.
Legislation accelerating the use of the death penalty for alleged collaboration with foreign nations is being fast-tracked through parliament. The judiciary has called for swift legal processes against those threatening national peace or allegedly assisting Israel. Bahar Ghandehari, media and advocacy director at the Center for Human Rights in Iran, warned that such measures signal impending show trials and executions.
Evin Prison, located in northern Tehran, housed an estimated 120 individuals within its general population, alongside hundreds more in secretive security units. These include dissidents, lawyers, and long-time activists opposing Iran’s authoritarian regime and its rigid religious laws. Over the years, numerous nationwide protests have been harshly suppressed by authorities, resulting in numerous casualties and arrests.
The moment Israeli missiles targeted Evin, they coincided with visiting hours, causing widespread panic. Among those recounting terrifying near-misses was Seydal, who has been repeatedly jailed since 2023 due to her participation in protest movements. Rights groups relay widespread damage within the prison complex, including the destruction of visiting areas, the prosecutor’s office, and several prisoner wards. Reports indicate missiles struck areas crucial to the prisoners’ access, like the entrance often used for transportation to medical facilities or court.
Criticizing the prison attack, Mohammadi argues targeting such facilities where inmates are defenseless is illegitimate. She and families of the prisoners reported seeing prisoners being transferred to other facilities in the dead of night. Many women prisoners, including Seydal, were sent to the notorious Qarchak Prison, while male inmates were relocated to the Grand Tehran Penitentiary, both known for their poor living conditions located south of the capital.
Seydal’s description of Qarchak depicted a nightmarish environment characterized by overcrowding, inadequate hygiene, and limited sustenance. Her distressed state was echoed by her relative, who remarked on the dangerous predicament of either choosing silence or speaking out about their conditions. During a brief return to Evin to collect her possessions, Seydal described the air heavy with the stench of death.
The ongoing conflict has also sown further familial anxieties. Among those affected is Reza Younesi, whose father and brother, Ali, have been incarcerated at Evin. Before the missile strike, Ali was mysteriously removed from his prison ward, rendering him unreachable even after the prison attack. Such disappearances fuel fears of undisclosed detentions and possible secret executions. Amnesty International expressed heightened concerns for the safety of prisoners facing similar fates.
Reza’s brother Ali, eventually surfaced after being transferred to the Grand Tehran Penitentiary, his family briefly reassured of his survival after a phone call. Meanwhile, political activists like Mehraveh Khandan, raised in a legacy of dissent, recount the chaos endured by families trying to confirm their loved ones’ safety amid widespread communication blackouts and evacuations.
The assault on Evin Prison has diminished hopes among human rights advocates who believed the Iranian government might release prisoners. Observing the ensuing mass detentions and executions, activists now fear that years of painstaking efforts to cultivate democratic reforms have been significantly undermined by this war’s repercussions.