One month after Israeli airstrikes hit Iran’s notorious Evin prison, detainees transferred to other facilities are reportedly enduring “inhumane” conditions, according to accounts from families and human rights observers.

On 23 June, Israeli forces targeted Evin prison during escalating conflict with Iran. Iranian officials said the attack killed 80 people, including five prisoners, 41 staff members, and 13 military conscripts. Israel defended the strike, calling the prison a hub for “intelligence operations” against the country and described it as a “symbol of oppression” in Iran.

The attack left large parts of the prison complex—such as the medical clinic, visitor centre, and administrative buildings—severely damaged. All inmates were moved to other prisons shortly after.

However, former Evin prisoners say their new placements are worse. Many are now held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions without proper beds, ventilation, or access to medical care. Some cells are infested with bedbugs and cockroaches, and prisoners reportedly lack sufficient toilets and showers.

One political prisoner transferred to Fashafouyeh Prison outside Tehran described the site as remote and inaccessible. His wife has been unable to visit since the transfer. Another detainee told his family that many inmates sleep on the floor due to overcrowding. Verified video footage confirms packed cells with prisoners lying side by side.

Authorities reportedly attempted to stage a video inside the prison to downplay the crisis, but prisoners interrupted by chanting anti-government slogans. Rights groups accuse Iran of placing political detainees in cells with violent criminals as a form of intimidation—something that contravenes international prison standards.

Amnesty International has called the Israeli strike a serious violation of international humanitarian law, stressing that prisons are presumed civilian sites unless proven otherwise. Human Rights Watch has also documented previous abuses in Iran’s detention system, including torture, medical neglect, and intimidation.

Some detainees were relocated to Qarchak Prison, known for even harsher conditions. Among them is 62-year-old Baha’i woman Fariba Kamalabadi, who told her family she would have preferred to die in the attack than be transferred. Baha’i prisoners in Iran face systemic discrimination and are denied legal recognition.

Families say that elderly women in Qarchak lack medical support and must live in cramped, fly-infested cells. Unlike at Evin, where relatives could visit more freely, current policies limit visitation, affecting children and grandchildren.

The BBC has verified the civilian deaths of seven people as a result of the Evin prison strike, including a five-year-old child, a doctor, and a local painter named Mehrangiz Imenpour. She was killed while walking near the prison to use an ATM, according to her family.

Relatives of the deceased expressed frustration over the suffering caused by the conflict. “When two states engage in a conflict, civilians are the ones who pay the price. Both states are guilty, and both must be held accountable,” said a family member of Imenpour.

The Iranian embassy in London has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.