Introduction
On Friday, August 8, 2025, over 600 political, security related, and financial prisoners, were suddenly and without prior notice to families returned from Greater Tehran penitentiary (Fashafouyeh) back to Evin Prison. This forced return occurred while several sections of Evin Prison remained unrepaired following the missile strike of June 23, 2025. Relocating prisoners to notoriously overcrowded and unsanitary wards; such as Ward 7 of Evin Prison; amounts to a clear case of gross human rights violations and a total disregard for the dignity and safety of detainees.
Timeline: From Attack to Return
- June 23, 2025: Missile attack on Evin Prison dozens killed or injured, severe structural damage
- June 24–26: Emergency transfers to Fashafouyeh, Qarchak, and other facilities
- August 6, 2025: Return of a group of financial prisoners to Evin
- August 8, 2025: Return of over 600 political and security detainees to Wards 7 and 8 of Evin Prison
These transfers occurred in total media silence and without prior notice to the families. Prisoners were denied the chance to collect their personal belongings.
Ground Reality of the Prisoner Returns
Evidence and reports confirm that the return of more than 600 prisoners to Evin Prison took place without adequate infrastructure or basic necessities in place. Far from being a sign of improved conditions, the move appears to be a hasty and opaque attempt at external crisis management following the exposure of inhumane conditions in temporary prisons. In practice, prisoners were returned to an environment already plagued by health, security, and overcrowding crises.
Inhumane Conditions in Ward 7 of Evin Prison
Ward 7, where the majority of returned prisoners are now held, has long been criticized for violating the principle of separation of prisoners by offense type and for its poor living conditions. Political prisoners are confined alongside those convicted of financial and drug related crimes, contrary to Rule 11.1 of the Nelson Mandela Rules and international human rights standards.
Documented conditions in Ward 7 include:
- Severe overcrowding and cramped sleeping quarters
- Lack of hot water
- Infestations of lice, cockroaches, and rats
- Limited access to fresh air and natural light
- Inadequate medical care and lack of access to necessary medications
- Restrictions on communication with families and legal correspondence
These conditions place political prisoners at serious risk of physical and psychological harm and directly violate Articles 5 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Silence Regarding Female Political Prisoners
Weeks after the emergency transfer of female political prisoners to Qarchak Prison, no official or unofficial report has been issued regarding their return to Evin. This silence raises grave concerns about their continued detention under inhumane conditions and without family contact or legal oversight.
Is This a Covert Policy of Elimination?
Based on historical patterns, the concentration of political prisoners in unsafe and unsanitary wards like Ward 7; without separation, proper care, or oversight; along with solitary confinement and enforced silence, may indicate a deliberate policy by the authorities.
This strategy resembles slow motion elimination: not through execution, but through gradual physical and psychological erosion, including denial of medicine, nutrition, treatment, communication, and safety. Iran’s past actions—from the 1988 prison massacres to the 2014 assault on Ward 350—demonstrate the regime’s history of targeting political detainees through similar patterns.
Clear Violations of International Law
The treatment of political prisoners during these transfers and returns constitutes serious breaches of international law, including:
- Articles 5, 10, and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Rules 11.1, 24, and 27 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules)
- Article 7 of the ICCPR
- Articles 1 and 16 of the Convention Against Torture (CAT)
- Verified reports of enforced disappearances during transfers
Conclusion and Call to Action
The return of political prisoners to Evin Prison; without improved living conditions and amid ongoing systemic violations; constitutes a punitive and degrading measure rather than a safe or lawful relocation. We urgently call on:
- The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran to investigate this case without delay.
- The UN Committee Against Torture to examine the continued use of solitary confinement and degrading treatment.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross to conduct an immediate inspection of Ward 7 at Evin Prison.
