Iran says 71 dead in Israeli strike on Tehran prison this month
An Israeli strike this month on Tehran's Evin prison killed 71 people, Iran's judiciary said, in one of the deadliest single Israeli attacks on Iranian soil.
The June 23 strike killed inmates, prison staff, conscripted soldiers, and visiting family members, the official Mizan news agency reported Sunday, citing Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir.
Jahangir said civilians living near the prison were also among the dead, with several others injured. He didn't provide a breakdown of casualties and the judiciary hasn't publicly released a list of victims.
Evin prison, located in northwestern Tehran's populated urban core, is known for detaining political prisoners, dissidents and journalists, along with those convicted of criminal offenses.
The attack took place hours before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire that went into effect on Tuesday, ending the deadliest and most intense confrontation yet between Israel and Iran that pushed the region to the brink of wider conflict. During this period, senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed, Israeli forces targeted key military and nuclear sites and the US struck three major Iranian nuclear facilities. Both sides have threatened severe action in response to any new escalation, though the ceasefire appears to be holding so far.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Evin Prison was among the targets in the June 23 strikes that also included the internal security headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Sunday's announcement comes as Iran holds weekend funeral processions for dozens of senior military and nuclear officials killed in Israeli strikes. The attacks have so far left 627 dead, including many civilians, according to Iran's Health Ministry.
The attack marked another deadly chapter in Evin's recent history. In October 2022, eight people died in a fire that broke out at the prison amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's Islamic dress code.
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