On Monday, June 23, Israel furthered its attack on Iran, striking the gate of Evin Prison in Tehran currently holding Reza Khandan, which has specialized units for political prisoners. So far, there are no immediate reports of casualties in the country. However, a human rights group based in Washington has expressed concern for prisoners to the Associated Press.
“Many families of current detainees have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones held inside the prison,” according to the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.
The following is a translation of a powerful letter written by Reza Khandan—husband of renowned human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh—and several fellow prisoners inside Iran’s notorious Evin Prison.
As Israel’s military campaign escalates and air raid sirens sound over Tehran, these prisoners are sounding an alarm of their own. Citing existing Iranian legal codes, they make an urgent, clear-eyed case for the immediate release of nonviolent inmates—many of whom are political prisoners or behind bars for peaceful dissent. With bombs falling nearby, and prison facilities ill-equipped to safeguard detainees, their letter warns that inaction could turn incarceration into a death sentence.
Translation of Letter to Iranian Judiciary
In the Name of God, the Exalted
To the Honorable Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Mr. Mohseni EjeiWith greetings and respect,
Given the current wartime situation and considering the reality that it is unclear when the ongoing war will end, and that Evin Prison and many prisons across the country lack facilities to protect prisoners’ lives against missile attacks, drone strikes, and Israeli fighter jet bombardments.
As you are well aware, prisons lack air raid warning systems, shelters, and safe and appropriate evacuation routes to more suitable locations. Additionally, prisons are not equipped with defense systems to counter potential attacks (especially Ward 8 of Evin, which is in an even worse condition and doesn’t even have a single fire extinguisher).
Based on the responsibility of the Prison Organization and the country’s security and correctional measures to protect prisoners’ lives, it is appropriate that urgent measures and decisions be adopted and implemented to prevent endangering prisoners’ lives from attacks by the hostile Israeli government, as follows:
1. Supreme Judicial Council Resolution
The Supreme Judicial Council resolution dated 23/10/1365 (January 13, 1987), numbered 211, aimed at protecting prisoners’ lives in war zones during emergency conditions, which was communicated to the country’s judicial and prosecutorial authorities through a circular dated 25/10/1365 (January 15, 1987) by the Head of the Supreme Judicial Council, stipulated that whenever wartime conditions arise and endanger prisoners’ lives, it is necessary for prosecutors to review the situation of prisoners in their judicial jurisdiction and proceed with accepting the conversion of bail, conditional release, and allowing prisoners to leave prison for work in institutions outside prison, and similar legal measures. If such measures are not effective and sufficient, prisoners should be released with appropriate bail, guarantor, or suitable surety, acting in a manner that preserves prisoners’ lives.
The same conditions that led to the approval of this resolution by the Supreme Judicial Council are currently in effect and applicable. Therefore, it is possible to extend that resolution and its corresponding circular to the current conditions.
2. Article 201 of Prison Organization Regulations
Article 201 of the executive regulations of the Prison Organization and the country’s security and correctional measures explicitly stipulates that in cases where the number of prisoners in an institution reaches an unacceptable level (i.e., more than twice the nominal capacity), as well as during crisis situations and the occurrence of unexpected incidents or the outbreak of dangerous diseases and similar situations, the matter shall be reported by the head of the Prison Organization to the Head of the Judiciary for taking appropriate decisions until the emergency situation is resolved.
Is not the outbreak of a war of this magnitude, which has caused such extensive damage and tragedies within five days, an instance of crisis situations? If you do not consider war a time and situation of crisis, the use of the phrase “and similar situations” in the regulation text gives you the possibility to consider the current wartime conditions as covered by this regulation and make appropriate decisions regarding it.
It should be noted that we, the prisoners signing this letter, do not consider the condition for implementing Article 201 of the aforementioned regulation to be reporting by the head of the Prison Organization to Your Excellency. For this reason, we have directly reflected the matter to draw your attention to the sensitivity of the issue.
3. Article 197 of Prison Organization Regulations
Article 197 of the Prison Organization’s executive regulations has given the Head of the Judiciary the possibility to grant leave to eligible prisoners up to twice a year on various national and religious occasions. Must there necessarily be a national or religious occasion for you to use your authority regarding leave? Must it only be a holiday or similar occasions for you to possibly deem prisoners worthy of enjoying leave?
In these wartime conditions where prisoners are worried about their families’ situation and families are worried about prisoners’ condition, would it not be possible to ease the burden of these difficult conditions for the country’s citizens by granting leave to prisoners?
Request for Action
Based on the above points, following the joint meeting of several prisoner signatories of this letter with the honorable head of Evin Prison and the honorable prosecutor overseeing political prisoners on the current date (June 17, 2025), by preparing and sending this correspondence, we request Your Excellency to decree that, in order to preserve prisoners’ lives in the current wartime conditions, long-term leave until the resolution of these conditions be granted to prisoners in exchange for obtainable guarantees such as electronic promissory notes, written or electronic commitment letters, or guarantees.
We draw your attention to the important fact that the continued presence in prison of prisoners of unintentional crimes such as financial prisoners and prisoners who have been imprisoned with honorable motivations and with the goal of reforming government governance methods will neither lead to the payment of financial prisoners’ debts nor bring any benefit to the Islamic Republic system. It is easy to achieve the goals that the government had in mind from punishing the aforementioned prisoners.
Peace be upon those who follow guidance.
Copies to:
- Mr. Firouzjahi, Deputy Prosecutor for Prison Affairs
- Mr. Niri, Prosecutor overseeing Security Crimes Prison
- Mr. Farzadi, Head of Evin Prison
Signatories: Taher Naghavi, Syed Mohammad Reza Faghihi, Reza Khandan, Nasrollah Amirloo, Vadood Asadi, Abdolreza Valizadeh, Ali Mansouri, Saeed Hosseini
