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Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Iran releases death toll of Israel's Evin prison attack as officials remain suspicious of ceasefire
While officials did not provide a breakdown of the casualty figures, the Washington-based Human Rights Activists in Iran said at least 35 were staff members and two were inmates. Others killed included a person walking in the prison vicinity and a woman who went to meet a judge about her imprisoned husband's case, the organization said. The June 23 attack, the day before the ceasefire between Israel and Iran took hold, hit several prison buildings and prompted concerns from rights groups about inmates' safety. Advertisement It remains unclear why Israel targeted the prison, but it came on a day when the Defense Ministry said it was attacking 'regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran.' The news of the prison attack was quickly overshadowed by an Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Qatar later that day, which caused no casualties, and the announcement of the ceasefire. Advertisement On the day of the attack, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran criticized Israel for striking the prison, seen as a symbol of the Iranian regime's repression of any opposition, saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets. Prison attack came near the end of 12 days of strikes Over the 12 days before the ceasefire was declared, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 of them civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group. In retaliation, Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of them intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said in a Saturday letter to United Nations officials — obtained by The Associated Press — that the international body should recognize Israel and the U.S. 'as the initiators of the act of aggression' against Iran over the war and that their targeting of a sovereign country should require 'compensation and reparation.' At the same time, advocates have said that Iran was legally obligated to protect the prisoners held in Evin, and slammed authorities in Tehran for their 'failure to evacuate, provide medical assistance or inform families' following the attack. The judiciary spokesperson said some of the injured were treated on site, while others were taken to hospitals. Iran had not previously announced any death toll at the prison, though on Saturday, it confirmed that top prosecutor Ali Ghanaatkar — whose prosecution of dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, led to widespread criticism by human rights groups — had been killed in the attack. Advertisement He was one of about 60 people for whom a massive public funeral procession was held Saturday in Tehran. He was to be buried at a shrine in Qom on Sunday. Iran worries whether the ceasefire will hold While Israel and Iran have been adhering to the truce, Iranian officials raised suspicions Sunday about whether the other side would continue to keep its word. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of staff for Iran's armed forces, said in a conversation with Saudi Arabia's defense minister that the country is prepared if there were another surprise Israeli attack. 'We did not initiate the war, but we responded to the aggressor with all our might, and since we have complete doubts about the enemy's adherence to its commitments, including the ceasefire, we are prepared to give them a strong response if they repeat the aggression,' Mousavi said, according to Iranian state TV agency IRNA. It's unclear how much damage was done to the nuclear program Much remained unclear about the status of Iran's nuclear program, which incited the initial Israeli attack. U.S. President Donald Trump says American strikes 'obliterated' the program, while Iranians say that he's exaggerating. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told CBS' 'Face the Nation' in an interview airing Sunday that Iran's capacities remain, but it is impossible to access the full damage to the nuclear program unless inspectors are allowed in, which Iranian officials have not allowed. 'It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage, first of all. And secondly, Iran has the capacities there, industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again,' Grossi said. Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. Advertisement
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Iran Confirms Inmates Killed in Israel's Evin Prison Attack Last Week
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An Israeli strike on Tehran's Evin Prison on Monday killed 71 people, including inmates, staff and visiting family members, Iran's judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said on Sunday. Newsweek has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) via email for comment on Sunday. Why It Matters In mid-June, Israel initially struck Tehran and several other cities in "Operation Rising Lion," a campaign it said was meant to preempt a planned Iranian attack and disrupt Iran's nuclear capabilities, which have long been a concern of Israel and the U.S. Iran, which has said its nuclear program is for energy purposes and not nuclear weapons, retaliated. Israeli defense systems—bolstered by U.S. military technology—intercepted nearly all incoming missile fire, according to Israeli officials, although Iran did strike a hospital southern Israel last week. More than 600 Iranians were reported killed by Israeli strikes, and 28 Israelis killed by Iranian strikes, with thousands wounded it both countries. Israel and Iran entered a fragile ceasefire on June 24, the day after Israel struck Evin Prison. Last weekend, the U.S. joined Israel in its war against Iran by bombing three nuclear sites, Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, in the largest B-2 bomber operation in U.S. history. What To Know On Sunday, Jahangir wrote in Mizan, the Iranian judiciary's outlet, that 71 people were killed in the Israeli strike on Iran's notorious Evin Prison. The update was republished on the official state news outlet, IRNA. The English version of the Mizan article states that, "Prison administrative staff, conscript soldiers, convicted prisoners, families of prisoners who had visited for meetings or judicial follow-ups, and neighbors living near the prison," were killed. It noted that people had come to the prison that day for various follow-ups on legal proceedings. The outlet confirmed that Judge Ali Ghanaatkar, who served as deputy prosecutor of Tehran and the detention center's top prosecutor, was killed in the strikes. It did not identify the others killed. Mizan also reported that foreign journalists from several outlets, including Associated Press and Reuters, participated in a tour of the area. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Iran's capital for a state funeral honoring about 60 Iranians killed in Israeli strikes over the past few weeks, including top military commanders and nuclear scientists. The office building at the Evin prison sits damaged in Tehran, Iran, on June 29 after an Israeli strike on Monday. The office building at the Evin prison sits damaged in Tehran, Iran, on June 29 after an Israeli strike on Monday. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi What Is Evin Prison? Evin Prison holds many of the country's political detainees in Iran, housing dissidents, journalists, protesters, and foreign nationals accused of espionage. The prison is one of the apparatuses of the Iranian regime's domestic security apparatus. Human rights organizations have long documented abuse, torture and arbitrary detention inside Evin Prison. Notable former detainees include Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and a Nobel Peace Laureate, and Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post journalist who was held there for 544 days on espionage charges while serving as the paper's Tehran bureau chief a decade ago. What People Are Saying Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted alleged footage of the bombing after the attack, writing on X, formerly Twitter: "We warned Iran time and again: stop targeting civilians! They continued, including this morning. Our response: Viva la libertad, c*****!" Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist and a Nobel Peace Laureate, said in a June 28 X post: "Israel's attack on Evin Prison, carried out in broad daylight in the presence of families and visitors, is undoubtedly a clear example of a war families of the detained are unaware of the status or whereabouts of their loved ones. Prisoners from the general wards of Evin Prison have been transferred to prisons around Tehran and are being held in harsh, inhumane, and grueling conditions. Furthermore, no official information has been released regarding the status of prisoners previously held in security wards or solitary confinement." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in a Persian in an X post on Saturday: "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you dear people; With love, you bid farewell to the martyrs of our homeland, and our voice of unity reached the ears of the world. We have learned from Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him) not to submit to humiliation and not to bow our heads before oppression. Serving such a noble nation is the honor of my life. Forever Iran" What Happens Next The ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains fragile. Trump said the U.S. and Iran are due to hold new talks about the country's nuclear capabilities. "We're going to talk to them next week, with Iran," Trump said at the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday. "We may sign an agreement. I don't know." On Saturday, Araghchi posted on X, "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers."
The National
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Israeli army's bombing of notorious Evin prison killed 71, Iran says
Iran has said 71 people were killed in an Israeli army bombing last Monday of its notorious Evin prison, where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held. At the end of its 12-day aerial war with Iran, Israel struck the prison in Tehran as part of an expansion of its bombing targets beyond military and nuclear sites. The Evin prison has become a symbol of Iran's ruling system as a holding site for many regime opponents. The death toll released by Iranian authorities comes six days on from the attack. 'Seventy-one people were martyred, including prison administrative staff, conscripts, families of prisoners who were visiting to pursue legal cases, and neighbours who lived near the prison,' said Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary. His remarks were carried by the judiciary's news outlet Mizan. Mizan said the prison's medical centre, engineering building, visitors' building and prosecutor's office were all damaged. Mr Jahangir called the bombing a contradiction of international and humanitarian law. Iran had not previously announced any death toll, though on Saturday it confirmed that top prosecutor Ali Ghanaatkar had been killed in the attack. Mr Ghanaatkar's past prosecution of dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, has previously led to widespread criticism from human rights groups. Iran holds funeral procession for leading figures killed in Israeli strikes Mr Ghanaatkar was one of about 60 people for whom a massive public funeral procession was held on Saturday in Tehran. Rights groups have criticised Israel for striking the prison, saying it breached the principle of distinguishing between civilian and military targets. Israel said it was striking 'regime targets'. Images shared by the Iranian judiciary after the attack showed destroyed walls, collapsed ceilings, scattered debris and broken surfaces across waiting areas at the prison. The jail holds a number of foreign nationals, including two French citizens, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained for three years. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called the Israeli bombing 'unacceptable'. The prison was established in 1972 under late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It consists of a five-hectare complex in northern Tehran estimated to hold 10,000 to 15,000 inmates, including protesters, journalists, academics and foreigners accused of espionage. Following the 1979 Iranian revolution, it became the regime's main detention centre for political prisoners. Inmates have included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ms Mohammadi.
BreakingNews.ie
20 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
At least 71 killed in Israel's attack on Tehran's Evin prison, Iran says
At least 71 people were killed in Israel's attack on Monday on Tehran's Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political activists have been held, Iran's judiciary said. Spokesman Asghar Jahangir posted on the office's official Mizan news agency website on Sunday that those killed included staff, soldiers, prisoners and members of visiting families. Advertisement The agency had earlier confirmed that the top prosecutor at the prison had been killed in the strike. It said Ali Ghanaatkar, whose prosecution of dissidents led to widespread criticism by human rights groups, would be buried at a shrine in Qom.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
At least 71 killed in Israel's attack on Tehran's Evin prison, Iran says
At least 71 people were killed in Israel's attack on Monday on Tehran's Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political activists have been held, Iran's judiciary said. Spokesman Asghar Jahangir posted on the office's official Mizan news agency website on Sunday that those killed included staff, soldiers, prisoners and members of visiting families. The agency had earlier confirmed that the top prosecutor at the prison had been killed in the strike. It said Ali Ghanaatkar, whose prosecution of dissidents led to widespread criticism by human rights groups, would be buried at a shrine in Qom.
