Israel bombed Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on Monday, a facility synonymous with human rights abuses, striking a potent symbol of Iranian state repression. The attack signals a dramatic escalation beyond military and nuclear sites, directly targeting the core security pillars of the Islamic Republic's ruling system.
The strike on Evin followed U.S. bunker-buster attacks on Iran's underground nuclear facilities, with Tehran vowing retaliation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar starkly posted "Viva la libertad!" on X, accompanying a video appearing to show an explosion at an Evin Prison entrance. While Reuters could not immediately verify Saar's video, other footage of the prison's aftermath was confirmed genuine. Iranian state media showed rescue workers amid flattened wreckage as the judiciary pledged urgent action to protect inmate safety.
Evin Prison, located in northern Tehran, has a grim history that predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Built in 1972 under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, it was operated by his feared SAVAK intelligence agency, already housing political dissidents.
Following the revolution, Evin's role as an instrument of state control was not only maintained but significantly amplified by the new clerical leadership. It became infamous for the 1988 mass executions of thousands of political prisoners, a deep scar on the nation's psyche. For decades since, it has been the primary detention center for journalists, activists, human rights lawyers, artists, and, increasingly, dual nationals and foreign citizens, often held on vaguely defined national security charges. Wards like 209, reportedly run by the Ministry of Intelligence, and 2A, allegedly controlled by the Revolutionary Guards, are notorious for severe interrogation tactics. Consistent reports from former inmates and human rights groups detail harrowing conditions, including systematic torture and denial of medical care, cementing Evin's reputation as the physical embodiment of the regime's repressive power.
The deliberate targeting of Evin, alongside reported Israeli strikes on Revolutionary Guard command centers responsible for internal security in Tehran, underscores a clear intent to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly. Defence Minister Israel Katz stated the military was "striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets, and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran."