On Monday morning, Israeli airstrikes targeted the infamous Evin prison in Iran, welcoming widespread international gratitude and interest. The airstrikes targeted the prison’s gate, causing damage to the adjacent court and several wards, including the women’s political ward where many political prisoners, including British-Iranian dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, have been held.
Evin prison has also become infamous for holding thousands of political prisoners and dissidents of the Islamic Republic. Since then, it has become a symbol of human rights abuses and inhumane conditions. Zaghari-Ratcliffe served five years in Evin Prison, during which, like so many others who stand in opposition to the Iranian regime, she endured horrific treatment. Though she found her way out in 2022, shortly after the prison went up in flames. While this event was a historic moment, it left many fearful for the future of those who remained incarcerated.
The vulnerability to more recent airstrikes have further increased fears among those left behind in Evin prison. While staying at her mother’s home, Zaghari-Ratcliffe sought to contact her ex-cellmates. Specifically, she was concerned about their safety and the lack of communication regarding the aftermath of the strikes. Reports indicate that thousands of people are still stuck behind prison walls. The lasting impact of these airstrikes on women and children’s socio-economic conditions remains to be seen.
The Iranian authorities have severely escalated their repressive campaign against all civilians, including those imprisoned in Evin prison. The international community has failed to pay attention and hold perpetrators accountable, including the United Kingdom. Yet they remain unwilling to publicly confirm how many British citizens are currently imprisoned, or where these individuals may have been relocated following the recent changes.
The airstrikes destroyed schools, hospitals, and civil infrastructure. They sounded the alarm on the precarious conditions of these political prisoners as tensions in the region are skyrocketing. Inmates’ safety and well-being were contacting, too, is the adjacent court that received a great deal of damage and impacted many of the connected wards that went down. The international community’s complicity and silence over Israel’s military actions against Iran ironically makes the situation even worse for those remaining behind bars.