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On August 7, 2025, political prisoners in Iran were subjected to violent assault by security forces during their transfer back to Evin Prison in Tehran. These detainees, many of them prominent activists and political figures, were being returned to Evin following their temporary relocation in the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on the facility in June. Reports indicate that several prisoners who refused to wear handcuffs during the transfer were beaten, physically restrained, and brought back to the prison with visible injuries.
Among those named as victims of this abuse are Mostafa Tajzadeh, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Mehdi Mahmoudian, Matlab Ahmadiani, Mohammad Bagher Bakhtiar, Hossein Shanbehzadeh, Khashayar Sefidi, and Saeed Ahmadi Maljou. Fakhrosadat Mohtashamipour, wife of political prisoner Mostafa Tajzadeh, reported on Instagram that security agents attacked detainees for nearly six hours. She stated that two officers sat on her husband’s chest and forced handcuffs onto him, and described the assault as savage, humiliating, and unlawful. In a phone call after the incident, Mr. Tajzadeh confirmed the violence, stating that the behavior during the transfer sharply contrasted with more standard treatment of prisoners.
Iranian authorities, including the Tehran Province Prisons Organization, have denied all allegations, claiming the transfer followed proper legal protocols and that only five inmates briefly refused handcuffing. They described the claims as part of a psychological propaganda campaign against the state. However, these denials have been met with outrage from families, activists, and human rights defenders, who are calling for accountability and an independent investigation.
This violence comes in the wake of the June 23, 2025 Israeli military attack on Evin Prison, which resulted in the deaths of at least 80 civilians, including five prisoners, 41 staff, and 13 conscript soldiers. In a statement released on July 22, Amnesty International condemned the bombing as a grave breach of international humanitarian law and asserted that it should be investigated as a war crime. The organization emphasized that prisons are protected civilian structures, and that no credible evidence had been presented to justify targeting Evin. The strike occurred during visiting hours, when the prison was populated by civilians—including family members of inmates and a five-year-old child, all of whom were among the dead.
The combination of this external violence and continued domestic repression of political detainees points to an alarming deterioration in the protection of human rights in Iran. The use of force against nonviolent prisoners, especially amid heightened instability, signals a systemic pattern of abuse, intimidation, and lack of accountability.
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) strongly condemns the recent violence committed by Iranian security forces against political prisoners and reiterates its call for their immediate and unconditional release. These individuals should never have been imprisoned for exercising their legitimate rights to free speech, peaceful protest, and political belief. NIAC also once again condemns the Israeli military’s attack on Evin Prison, which resulted in the death of innocent civilians and constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law.