Political Prisoners Say Iran Officials Ignored Evin Prison Attack Warnings

A group Iranian political prisoners have accused government officials of mismanagement and ignoring warnings that contributed to the deaths of 71 people during an Israeli strike on Evin Prison.

The prisoners said they had warned Evin Prison officials one week before the June 23 attack about the possibility of airstrikes and had requested temporary release under a 1986 wartime resolution, but their concerns were dismissed.

“One week before this attack, a number of political prisoners met with the head and officials of Evin Prison and warned about the possibility of an air attack and the life-threatening danger to prisoners and staff,” the statement said.

The signatories include prominent activists and journalists such as Mostafa Tajzadeh, Siamak Ebrahimi, and Saeed Ahmadi.

Following the attack, authorities transferred prisoners from Evin to Greater Tehran Prison without notice in a 14-hour operation.

Prisoners were moved in handcuffs and shackles through rubble, while fighter jets flew overhead and special forces were deployed on the ground.

The statement described current conditions at Qarchak and Greater Tehran prisons as “inhumane and unbearable,” stating that no security considerations were being observed.

Female prisoners transferred to Qarchak Prison faced “humiliation, terror, and deprivation of basic safety,” according to the statement.

The prisoners blamed government “incompetence, short-sightedness, and stubbornness” for the deaths of 71 individuals - including prisoners, staff, doctors, and family members - during the attack.

Iran’s judiciary stated that the casualties included prison administrative staff, conscript soldiers, convicted prisoners, prisoners’ family members, and neighbors living near the prison.

The statement also warned against continued policies of intimidation, repression, and mass arrests.