Iranian authorities reported Tuesday that 27 inmates remain unaccounted for following an Israeli airstrike last month that struck Evin Prison in northern Tehran, during a 12-day conflict between the two countries.
The Israeli bombardment, which lasted nearly two weeks, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,100 people in Iran. In response, Iranian retaliatory strikes killed 28 people in Israel.
According to Iran’s judiciary news outlet Mizanonline, spokesman Asghar Jahangir stated that 75 prisoners had initially escaped after the airstrike, though 48 have since been recaptured or returned voluntarily. He noted that the escapees had been serving time for minor offenses, and warned that the remaining fugitives would face arrest if they do not surrender.
Iranian officials said 71 people were killed in the strike on the prison, while earlier local reports from July put the death toll at 80, including prison staff, soldiers, inmates, and visiting relatives. Five of the fatalities were inmates.
The reason behind Israel’s decision to target the prison remains unclear. However, Israel’s Defense Ministry said that 50 aircraft had carried out precision strikes on military objectives, based on what it called “high-quality, accurate intelligence” from its Intelligence Branch.
The New York-based Center for Human Rights criticized the strike, condemning it as a breach of international humanitarian law for failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets. Evin Prison has long been regarded as a symbol of Iran’s crackdown on dissent.