Survivors of an Israeli airstrike on Tehran’s Evin Prison say guards blocked inmates from fleeing smoke-filled cells as explosions ripped through the compound in June, killing dozens.
Israel struck the prison on June 23, the day before the end of the 12-day war between the countries, targeting a site known for holding dissidents, government critics and transgender inmates. Iranian officials said 80 people were killed, including guards, inmates, medical staff, visitors and passersby.
Evin prison following IAF strike
Political prisoner Motahareh Gunai said she believed she was going to die when she could not open her cell door after multiple blasts. Another inmate, speaking anonymously, said prison staff locked detainees in and told them not to leave, forcing prisoners to help each other escape.
Satellite images indicated Israel hit the site at least six times, damaging 28 buildings.
Amid the chaos, some inmates treated wounded guards and rescued staff trapped in a clinic. Saeedeh Makarem, a doctor injured in the strike, wrote on Instagram: “Prisoners I had treated saved my life.”
Authorities released only the names of 42 prison staff members killed, not inmates or visitors. Among the dead were 13 conscripts, a man attempting to post bail, a woman with her infant and several social workers.
The fate of transgender prisoners remains uncertain. Some reports say as many as 100 were killed; others suggest the bombing served as cover for their disappearance.
Israel said the prison was used for intelligence gathering against it, and officials described the strike as targeted and symbolic, aimed at undermining Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, later said the attack may constitute a war crime.