Iran’s Judiciary Reports At Least 71 Deaths in Israel's Attack on Evin Prison
The assault on Tehran's notorious prison has raised concerns over the safety of inmates and political prisoners.
DUBAI: Iran's judiciary announced that at least 71 individuals were killed during an attack by Israel on the Evin prison complex in Tehran, a facility known for holding numerous political prisoners and dissidents.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir detailed through Mizan news agency that these casualties included staff members, soldiers, inmates, and family visitors present during visits.
The accuracy of this report cannot be independently verified.
The attack took place on June 23, the day before a ceasefire was implemented between Israel and Iran.
It targeted multiple prison buildings, prompting immediate concerns from human rights organizations regarding the welfare of those held within the complex.
The motivations behind targeting Evin prison are unclear; however, it coincided with Israeli Defense Ministry claims of strikes against 'regime targets' in the heart of Tehran.
The news of the prison attack was swiftly overshadowed by an Iranian retaliatory strike on a US military base in Qatar later that same day, which resulted in no casualties.
This sequence led to the announcement of a ceasefire.
Jahangir's report outlined how various parts of the prison infrastructure were affected, including the infirmary, engineering facilities, judicial affairs department, and visitation halls where both injuries and fatalities among family members occurred.
The attack drew criticism from organizations such as the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, which accused Israel of violating international law by targeting a facility known to be holding political prisoners.
Additionally, the group criticized Iranian authorities for their failure to protect prisoners or provide adequate assistance post-attack.
Iran had not previously disclosed specific death counts but did confirm that Ali Ghanaatkar, a high-profile prosecutor known for his controversial pursuit of dissidents like Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, was killed during the attack.
His funeral procession in Tehran attracted significant public attention, with plans to bury him at a shrine in Qom.
This incident marks part of an ongoing series of military exchanges between Israel and Iran, notably escalating on June 13 when Israel launched an operation aimed at disrupting Iran's nuclear program.
Over 12 days before the ceasefire took effect, Israel claimed responsibility for eliminating around 30 Iranian military commanders and 11 nuclear scientists while destroying eight nuclear facilities and over 720 military sites.
According to reports from the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group, these strikes resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 individuals, including at least 417 civilians.
In response, Iran retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel; although most were intercepted, some caused significant damage and resulted in 28 casualties.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir detailed through Mizan news agency that these casualties included staff members, soldiers, inmates, and family visitors present during visits.
The accuracy of this report cannot be independently verified.
The attack took place on June 23, the day before a ceasefire was implemented between Israel and Iran.
It targeted multiple prison buildings, prompting immediate concerns from human rights organizations regarding the welfare of those held within the complex.
The motivations behind targeting Evin prison are unclear; however, it coincided with Israeli Defense Ministry claims of strikes against 'regime targets' in the heart of Tehran.
The news of the prison attack was swiftly overshadowed by an Iranian retaliatory strike on a US military base in Qatar later that same day, which resulted in no casualties.
This sequence led to the announcement of a ceasefire.
Jahangir's report outlined how various parts of the prison infrastructure were affected, including the infirmary, engineering facilities, judicial affairs department, and visitation halls where both injuries and fatalities among family members occurred.
The attack drew criticism from organizations such as the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, which accused Israel of violating international law by targeting a facility known to be holding political prisoners.
Additionally, the group criticized Iranian authorities for their failure to protect prisoners or provide adequate assistance post-attack.
Iran had not previously disclosed specific death counts but did confirm that Ali Ghanaatkar, a high-profile prosecutor known for his controversial pursuit of dissidents like Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, was killed during the attack.
His funeral procession in Tehran attracted significant public attention, with plans to bury him at a shrine in Qom.
This incident marks part of an ongoing series of military exchanges between Israel and Iran, notably escalating on June 13 when Israel launched an operation aimed at disrupting Iran's nuclear program.
Over 12 days before the ceasefire took effect, Israel claimed responsibility for eliminating around 30 Iranian military commanders and 11 nuclear scientists while destroying eight nuclear facilities and over 720 military sites.
According to reports from the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group, these strikes resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 individuals, including at least 417 civilians.
In response, Iran retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel; although most were intercepted, some caused significant damage and resulted in 28 casualties.
