Tehran: One month on from deadly Israeli air strikes on a notorious Iranian prison during the war between the two countries, inmates say they are being kept under unbearable and inhumane conditions after being moved to other prisons. Despite promises by the authorities, some of those transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran say they continue to face difficulties such as overcrowded cells, lack of beds and air conditioning, limited number of toilets and showers, and insect infestations.
According to BBC, accounts from the family members of prisoners moved from Evin reveal the dire conditions, with individuals speaking on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns. Verified videos and satellite imagery confirm damage to several buildings within the complex, including the medical clinic, the visitor centre, the prosecutor's office, and an administrative building. After the attack, the Israeli military described the prison as "a symbol of oppression for the Iranian people" and claimed the strikes were conducted in a "precise manner to mitigate harm to civilians" imprisoned there. Iran labeled the attack a "war crime."
The prison, targeted by Israel on June 23, was home to thousands, including prominent political dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minorities. According to Iranian authorities, the attack resulted in 80 deaths, including five prisoners, 41 prison staff, and 13 military conscripts. All inmates were subsequently relocated to other prisons following the attack.
Through family members, one political prisoner transferred to the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, also known as Fashafouyeh Prison, reported inhumane conditions at the facility. Located 20 miles south of Tehran, Fashafouyeh is remote and hazardous, making visits challenging for relatives. The prisoner described overcrowded cells without air conditioning, despite repeated assurances from authorities to improve conditions. A verified video from inside the prison shows a cell crowded with prisoners lying on beds and the floor.
Families of inmates at Fashafouyeh reported that political prisoners are now cohabiting with those accused or convicted of violent crimes, a tactic rights groups claim Iran uses to intimidate political prisoners, violating United Nations rules on inmate treatment. Another political detainee described his cell as unbearable due to lack of hygiene and infestation by bedbugs and cockroaches, with basic amenities lacking compared to Evin.
Human Rights Watch has previously accused Iranian authorities of using threats of torture, indefinite imprisonment, and denial of medical care for detainees, allegations Iran has denied. Although Evin has long faced condemnation from human rights groups, conditions at Fashafouyeh have been "underreported," prisoners told BBC.
Prominent Iranian journalist Mehdi Mahmoodian, transferred from Evin to Fashafouyeh, highlighted the neglect and oppression faced by non-political prisoners at the facility in a letter on his Instagram page. Fariba Kamalabadi, a 62-year-old Bahai detainee moved from Evin to Qarchak Prison, expressed a preference to have died in the attack rather than endure the conditions of her new prison. Iran’s Bahai community faces systematic discrimination and persecution, lacking constitutional recognition and basic rights.
The BBC has contacted the Iranian embassy in London for comment on the conditions faced by prisoners transferred from Evin. In the month since the strikes, the BBC verified the deaths of seven civilians, including a five-year-old boy, a doctor, and a painter. Family members of Mehrangiz Imenpour, a painter and mother of two, described her as "caught in the tragedy" when she was killed by the impact of the explosion while walking near the prison complex. Her death has left her children devastated, with relatives emphasizing the human cost of state conflicts.