For me, hell was not the moment Israel attacked; hell was the moment they wouldn't open the door [of the cell] for us, recalls Motahareh Goonei in an exclusive interview with the BBC. A political activist, Goonei was in solitary confinement in Iran's notorious Evin Prison when it was hit in a targeted attack by Israel on 23 June.
Satellite imagery, witness accounts, and verified footage obtained by BBC News Persian reveal new details of the attack during the final hours of the Israel-Iran war and of those who died. The high-security complex, perched on the northern edge of Tehran, has held thousands of political prisoners over the past half-century. When the missiles struck, it became the site of the deadliest Israeli attack on Iranian soil in terms of civilian casualties.
According to Iranian authorities, 80 people were killed, including prison staff, inmates, medical workers, visitors, and residents of nearby neighborhoods. Human Rights Watch reported on 14 August that the Israeli air strikes on the prison were unlawfully indiscriminate, potentially amounting to a war crime.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the attack was justified, asserting that Evin was being used for intelligence operations against Israel. As details of the strike emerge, the humanitarian implications and the obliteration of lives at the prison continue to raise urgent questions about international military ethics and accountability.
Describing the moment explosions ripped through the compound, Goonei shared her terror, stating that upon hearing a third blast, she believed there was no escape and began to resign herself to her fate.
Eyewitnesses reveal a community of prisoners rushing to help their guards, demonstrating acts of humanity in their darkest hour, while local reports detail a chaotic evacuation amidst destruction. Survivor accounts denote a scene fraught with confusion as explosions rapidly escalated into an all-out crisis.
Satellite imagery, witness accounts, and verified footage obtained by BBC News Persian reveal new details of the attack during the final hours of the Israel-Iran war and of those who died. The high-security complex, perched on the northern edge of Tehran, has held thousands of political prisoners over the past half-century. When the missiles struck, it became the site of the deadliest Israeli attack on Iranian soil in terms of civilian casualties.
According to Iranian authorities, 80 people were killed, including prison staff, inmates, medical workers, visitors, and residents of nearby neighborhoods. Human Rights Watch reported on 14 August that the Israeli air strikes on the prison were unlawfully indiscriminate, potentially amounting to a war crime.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the attack was justified, asserting that Evin was being used for intelligence operations against Israel. As details of the strike emerge, the humanitarian implications and the obliteration of lives at the prison continue to raise urgent questions about international military ethics and accountability.
Describing the moment explosions ripped through the compound, Goonei shared her terror, stating that upon hearing a third blast, she believed there was no escape and began to resign herself to her fate.
Eyewitnesses reveal a community of prisoners rushing to help their guards, demonstrating acts of humanity in their darkest hour, while local reports detail a chaotic evacuation amidst destruction. Survivor accounts denote a scene fraught with confusion as explosions rapidly escalated into an all-out crisis.
