At least 71 people were killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held, Iran’s judiciary said on Sunday.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir posted on the office’s official Mizan news agency website that those killed on Monday included staff, soldiers, prisoners and members of visiting families. It was not possible to independently verify the claim.
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 the safety of the inmates.
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 same day, which caused no casualties, and the announcement of the ceasefire.
Jahangir did not break down the casualty figures but said the attack had hit the prison’s infirmary, engineering building, judicial affairs and visitation hall, where visiting family members were killed and injured.
On the day of the attack, 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.
At the same time, the group said 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.
Jahangir said some of those injured were treated on site, while others were sent to hospitals.
Iran had not previously announced any death figures, though on Saturday 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.
He was one of about 60 people for whom a massive public funeral procession was held on Saturday in Tehran, and he was to be buried at a shrine in Qom on Sunday.
Israel attacked Iran on June 13 in a bid to destroy the country’s nuclear program.
Over 12 days before a 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 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group.
In retaliation, Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people.
While both sides have been adhering to the truce, Iranian officials raised suspicions Sunday about whether Israel 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 to be 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.
Meanwhile, a lot remained unclear even as of Sunday 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 set to air Sunday that Iran’s capacities still remain but it is impossible to know the timeline or access the full damage to the 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.”
