Human Rights Watch says Israeli airstrike on Iranian prison was an
'apparent war crime'
[August 14, 2025]
BEIRUT (AP) — Human Rights Watch alleged Thursday that an Israeli
airstrike on a notorious Iranian prison was “an apparent war crime”,
while also accusing Tehran of harming and disappearing prisoners after
the attack.
Israel struck Evin Prison in Tehran, one of Iran's most notorious
detention facilities for political activists and dissidents, on June 23,
during its 12-day war with the Islamic Republic.
The strikes during visiting hours hit Evin Prison’s main southern
entrance, another northern entrance and other areas of the complex,
destroying buildings that had medical facilities and prison wards.
The Iranian authorities initially said at least 71 people were killed
during the airstrike, among them civilians including inmates, visiting
relatives, and prison staff. Iranian media later raised that number to
80. It was unclear why Israel targeted the prison.
Human Rights Watch said the attack was “unlawfully indiscriminate” and
that there was no evidence of an advance warning or a military target
before striking the prison complex, which it estimates holds over 1,500
prisoners.
“To make matters worse, Israeli forces put at grave risk prisoners who
were already victims of Iranian authorities’ brutal repression,” said
Michael Page, the rights group’s deputy Middle East director.
Human Rights Watch says prisoners were subject to “ill-treatment and
violence” both as they were being taken out of the prison following the
attack and as they were returned.
Calls to Iranian authorities were not immediately returned on Thursday,
a public holiday in the country. The Israeli military also did not
respond to an immediate request for comment on the Human Rights Watch
reports.
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After the attack, Iranian authorities evacuated and transferred the
prisoners to two other facilities in Tehran province and said on August
8 that they were gradually returned. Iranian state media said the
prisoners were transferred peacefully and without any conflict.
But relatives and Human Rights Watch said some political prisoners were
beaten with batons and “electric shock weapons” for resisting wearing
handcuffs and protesting prison guards separating death-row inmates.
The group said some of the prisoners have disappeared, including
Swedish-Iranian doctor, Ahmadreza Djalali, who is at risk of execution.
The rights group says Iran had refused to give them any information
about his whereabouts.
“Iranian authorities should not use Israel’s strikes on Evin prison as
another opportunity to subject prisoners, including those who should
never have been in prison in the first place, to ill-treatment,” said
Page.
The war in June, which killed about 1,100 people in Iran and 28 in
Israel, started after Israeli jets struck key nuclear and military
facilities. Iran then launched a barrage of missiles over Israel.
—
Associated Press reporter Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed
to this report.
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