Amnesty Calls for War Crime Probe Into Israel's Bombing of Iranian Prison

Amnesty International on Tuesday called for a war crime investigation of Israel's June 23 airstrike on an Iranian prison, citing satellite imagery, eyewitness interviews, statements from Israeli officials, and other evidence that points to an intentional attack on civilians.

According to Iranian authorities, the Israeli strike on Evin prison in Tehran killed at least 80 civilians, including a 5-year-old boy and his mother, social worker Zahra Ebadi.

Amnesty noted in a statement Tuesday that "under international humanitarian law, a prison or place of detention is presumed a civilian object and there is no credible evidence in this case that Evin prison constituted a lawful military objective."

Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty's senior director for research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns, said that evidence from the strike "establishes reasonable grounds to believe that the Israeli military brazenly and deliberately attacked civilian buildings."

"Directing attacks at civilian objects is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Carrying out such attacks knowingly and deliberately constitutes a war crime," said Guevara Rosas. "Israeli forces should have known that any airstrikes against Evin prison could result in significant civilian harm."

"Prosecution authorities around the world must ensure that all those responsible for this deadly attack are brought to justice, including through use of the principle of universal jurisdiction," she added. "Iranian authorities must also grant the International Criminal Court jurisdiction over all Rome Statute crimes committed on or perpetrated from its territory."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) made no effort to hide that its attack on the facility was deliberate, saying in a statement that the strike was "targeted."

"In this prison complex, intelligence operations against the state of Israel, including counter-espionage, were carried out," said the IDF following the attack. "The strike was carried out in a precise manner to mitigate harm to civilians imprisoned within the prison to the greatest extent possible."

But Amnesty said in response that "the interrogation of detainees accused of spying for Israel or the presence of intelligence officials within the prison compound would not render the penal facility itself a legitimate military objective under international humanitarian law."

Undercutting the Israeli military's claim that the strike was precisely targeted to "mitigate" civilian casualties, Amnesty found "destruction in four distinct locations in the south and central parts of Evin prison where munitions likely landed."

"In the south of the prison, the main entrance gate, along with the adjoining wall and the visitor information building to the east of the gate were destroyed," the group found. "The building to the west of the gate and the adjoining Shahid Moghaddas prosecution office were extensively damaged. Further inside the southern part of the prison, the car park and a building next to the Quarantine section were damaged."

"Verified videos also depict destroyed windows, collapsed walls, and extensive rubble on both the western and eastern sides of the administrative building," Amnesty added. "The first floor appears to be largely obliterated, with missing structural walls visible in multiple sections... Satellite imagery shows significant damage to structures adjacent to the medical clinic, while verified videos reveal damage to the clinic from the blast and burning cars."

One anonymous source told the human rights organization that one of the victims of the Israeli strike, 35-year-old Leila Jafarzadeh, "was killed while visiting the prosecution office to post bail to secure the release of her imprisoned husband."

Saeedeh Makarem, a doctor volunteering in Evin prison, was injured by Israel's strike and told Amnesty he was rescued by detainees.

"They dragged me to the corner of the wall. I was half-conscious. They brought me water and a blanket, put a splint in my leg, wiped the blood from my face," said Makarem. "They could have left, but they didn't... They saved me."