In northern Tehran, Iran's capital, on the hillside adjacent to the prestigious and quiet Evin district, sits one of the harshest and most brutal prisons in the Middle East and perhaps the world. Monday's Israeli Air Force bombing brought back to the headlines this prison that has become hell for Iran's regime opponents.
The Evin Prison was constructed in 1972 under the Shah's regime, originally functioning as a detention center for the monarchy's secret police. The facility was engineered to accommodate 320 individuals – 300 in standard large detention areas and 20 additional inmates under solitary confinement. However, following the ayatollah regime's rise to power in 1979, this prison transformed into an enormous complex of systematic torture, violent beatings, and expedited executions. The inmate population has steadily increased to approximately 15,000 people, with thousands confined in isolation cells. The facility primarily houses political prisoners, government dissidents, and individuals whose alleged crimes have been classified as "political."
Video: The Israeli Air Force bombs the entrance to Evin Prison in Tehran on June 23, 2025. Credit: Arab media
Throughout the 1980s, during extensive purges conducted by the then-nascent and unstable regime against its adversaries and internal figures branded as traitors, thousands suffered torture and execution within these prison walls. Marina Nemat, who took part in student protests against the government during the early 1980s, spent two years imprisoned at Evin, where she documented the torture she experienced and witnessed the executions of fellow prisoners. "They would beat us with electric cables on our feet, often for hours at a time, with brief intervals allowing them to rest. On one Wednesday in Unit 209, we heard an enormous crash that resembled metal components tumbling from a vehicle. We later learned this was the sound of machine guns firing simultaneously at our comrades," Nemat documented.
Following the purge era, Evin Prison continued serving as the primary venue for regime-sanctioned brutalities. Beyond political dissidents, the facility has also imprisoned members of persecuted religious minorities, including 11 Baháʼí men and women who face systematic persecution under Iran's current government. Security measures around the prison intensified in 2009 amid riots protesting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contested re-election. Large-scale prison uprisings erupted in 2020 when specialized Basij forces stormed the facility, fatally shooting at least eight prisoners during a revolt by detainees transferred from demonstrations against mandatory hijab regulations. Although authorities suppressed the disturbances within hours, inmates succeeded in igniting one prison wing.
Israel's conflict with Iran has introduced unprecedented targeted strikes against the ayatollah regime's power structures. The assault on Evin Prison destroyed the main gate while also damaging administrative buildings and guard facilities. While the attacks' potential to spark broader uprisings remains uncertain, any scenario involving regime collapse would likely see the thousands of imprisoned dissidents emerge as a crucial leadership pool for Iran's political opposition.
