Israel strikes targets notorious Tehran prison

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Israeli airstrike on Monday targeted the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, the judiciary said, asserting that the situation at the facility is under control.

“In the latest attack by the Zionist regime on Tehran, unfortunately, projectiles hit Evin prison, damaging is now under control,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online said. 

Mizan denied the allegations by Israeli media that unrest and shootings are taking place inside the facility. “The rumors from the Mossad media about unrest and shootings in Evin prison are not true,” it said.

Evin prison has served as Iran’s main detention center for political dissidents and foreign nationals since the 1970s, making it a powerful symbol of state repression and a tool for diplomatic leverage.

Located in northwestern Tehran, the facility is known for holding political prisoners, dual nationals, and foreign detainees. It has gained international attention due to the high-profile cases of inmates. 

Following news that Iran executed a man accused of spying for Israel, reported by Mizan on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the attack on Evin prison was carried out to stop Iran.

“We warned Iran time and again: stop targeting civilians! They continued, including this morning,” Sa’ar said in a post on X.

On Saturday, the head of Iran’s judiciary said that suspects accused of collaborating with Israel in its war on Iran will face expedited trials and be given no leniency.

Iran has released several confessions of people accused of cooperating with or spying for Israel. Such confessions are widely believed to be coerced, often obtained through threats, psychological pressure, and, in some cases, physical torture.