MENA:

Two weeks after the end of the war launched by Israel against Iran, clearer information is starting to emerge about the damage caused to civilians and public sites in Iran. One of the targets was the notorious Evin prison, which was hit by several projectiles on 23 June.

Israel described the strike as a symbolic attack aimed at key institutions of repression in Iran. In the immediate aftermath, Iranian authorities, who tightly controlled and censored information about casualties, only confirmed that several judiciary officials, staff members, and civilians had been killed.

On 4 July, a video showing the first moments after the attack was released. It revealed major damage to the prison, including the complete destruction of some buildings, as well as the library, the prisoners' meeting area, and the infirmary. Iran's judiciary initially announced the number of those killed as 71, later revising it to 79.

Meanwhile, the exact number of casualties remains unclear. On 7 July, The New York Times reported that approximately 100 transgender inmates held at Evin prison were "missing" following the attack; however, this report has not been confirmed by other sources. The New Arab also could not independently verify this claim.

In the days that followed, authorities withheld not only details about the extent of the damage but also information about the fate of many prisoners, particularly political prisoners, which caused deep concern among their families.

Rights groups, such as the Center for Human Rights in Iran, strongly condemned the regime's censorship and demanded answers, specifically regarding the fate of Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish physician and researcher who has been jailed in Iran since 2016 on espionage charges.

Shackled prisoners
The wife of one inmate, who had been imprisoned for financial crimes, told The New Arab about her fear and uncertainty during the three days following the attack.

"As soon as they said Evin had been hit, I rushed to the prison gates, but the security forces were already there and wouldn’t let the families of prisoners get close," she said.

She described what she saw that day as "apocalyptic" and said it made her even more worried about the prisoners' safety. From a distance, she could see that the large front gate had been torn down, and smoke was rising from several demolished buildings inside the prison.

"I couldn't take it any more. Tears started running down my face. I thought, if this is what I can see from here, what's happening inside? I just prayed that my husband was still alive."

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