The Iranian regime is escalating its brutal crackdown on dissent as it becomes increasingly fearful of another uprising. Paralyzed by the fear of further unrest, the regime is enacting silent revenge on those behind bars. According to a new report obtained from inside Evin Prison, authorities are deliberately subjecting political prisoners to unbearable and torturous conditions, compounding their suffering through systematic abuse and violent raids.
The latest reports from inside Evin Prison indicate a catastrophic deterioration in living and sanitary conditions. In a calculated move to break the inmates physically and mentally, prison authorities are weaponizing the severe summer heat. The temperature inside some of the halls has surpassed 40 degrees Celsius. The cooling systems are entirely dysfunctional; rather than lowering the temperature, they act merely as fans, circulating boiling air in an already suffocating environment. Furthermore, direct sunlight beaming onto the walls and windows of the building drastically increases the heat inside the halls, making the conditions unbearable.
Prisoners are forced to spend long hours of the day and night in this completely closed, sweltering environment. The prison yard is exposed to intense, direct sunlight during the only hours it is available, making it virtually impossible for prisoners to use the open air. Simultaneously, the doors to the halls are kept continuously closed, heavily restricting the prisoners’ movement and access to space.
This severe restriction of movement, combined with the overcrowding in a closed, scorching environment, has led inmates to describe their situation as a “crowded solitary confinement.” To make matters worse, there is a widespread infestation of bedbugs inside the wards. The combination of intense heat, closed doors, and highly unsanitary conditions forces prisoners to battle pests without any basic hygienic facilities. Furthermore, there are absolutely no sports facilities available in these sections, completely depriving inmates of any regular physical activity. These deliberate deprivations have effectively turned Evin Prison into an exhausting, closed penal colony.
For political prisoners, these abysmal conditions are coupled with targeted psychological warfare. The regime is blatantly violating the internationally recognized principle of the separation of crimes. In Ward 7 of Evin Prison, political prisoners are intentionally kept alongside inmates convicted of ordinary social crimes.
Specifically, approximately one-fifth of Hall 2 in Ward 7 has been allocated to individuals accused of drug-related offenses. By forcing different groups of prisoners with vastly different judicial cases and backgrounds into a shared, overcrowded space, the authorities are intentionally reducing the available living area and inflicting severe physical and psychological pressure on political dissidents.
As if the unlivable environmental conditions were not enough, prison authorities frequently subject inmates to violent attacks. On the morning of Saturday, August 8, 2026, at approximately 11:00 AM, a brutal raid was carried out by about 50 Evin Prison riot guards on Halls 3 and 4 of Ward 7.
The entry of such a large number of guards resulted in a violent confrontation. During the inspection of the halls, guards physically beat several of the inmates. Concurrently, the guards aggressively searched the prisoners’ living areas and deliberately destroyed or confiscated their personal belongings.
These destroyed and stolen items were essential goods that the prisoners and their families had purchased out of their own pockets. The deliberate destruction of personal property is a calculated tactic of economic extortion, creating immense financial and psychological strain not only on the prisoners but also on their families, who already bear the heavy burden of providing basic necessities for their loved ones trapped inside the regime’s dungeons.
The deplorable conditions in Evin Prison are not mere administrative failures; they are calculated crimes against humanity. Mojtaba Khamenei’s regime is methodically attempting to silence and eliminate political prisoners through physical exhaustion, disease, and brute force. We urge human rights organizations, the United Nations, and the international community to take immediate, practical measures to inspect Iran’s prisons and hold the regime accountable for its systemic torture of political dissidents. Silence and inaction will only embolden the execution-driven regime in Tehran to claim more lives.