Tehran: Amnesty International has urged a criminal investigation into what it describes as an Israeli regime’s deliberate airstrikes on Evin Prison in Tehran, deeming the actions a serious breach of international humanitarian law, potentially qualifying as a war crime.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Amnesty International released a report following a thorough investigation, asserting that under international humanitarian law, prisons or places of detention are presumed to be civilian objects. The organization found no credible evidence that Evin Prison was a lawful military target. Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns at Amnesty International, stated that the evidence points to a deliberate attack on civilian buildings by the Israeli military.

The report emphasized that directing attacks at civilian objects is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law and that knowingly and deliberately carrying out such attacks constitutes a war crime. The Israeli military carried out multiple airstrikes against Evin Prison on June 23, amid a broader conflict initiated against Iran.

The assault, confirmed by the Israeli military, resulted in scores of civilian casualties and extensive damage across the prison complex. This attack was part of a larger conflict that began on June 13, when Israel, with U.S. support, launched a war of aggression against Iran, targeting military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

In retaliation, Iran targeted key sites across the occupied territories and the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, which is the largest U.S. military base in West Asia, effectively halting the assault.