A Deadly Strike on Tehran's Evin Prison: What Went Down?

Iran's judiciary recently shared some grim news. They said that at least 71 people died when Israel attacked the Evin prison in Tehran. This place is known for holding political prisoners and dissidents. The attack happened on June 23, just a day before a ceasefire between Israel and Iran kicked in. The attack hit several parts of the prison. This included the infirmary, the engineering building, and the visitation hall. People who were there visiting family members also got hurt or killed. It's still not clear why Israel chose to target this prison. The attack happened on the same day that Israel said it was hitting "regime targets and government repression bodies" in Tehran. But the news about the prison attack got overshadowed by other events. Later that same day, Iran attacked a U. S. base in Qatar, and then the ceasefire was announced. The Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in New York, criticized Israel for the attack. They said it violated the rules of war by not distinguishing between civilian and military targets. At the same time, they blamed Iran for not protecting the prisoners or helping them after the attack. The attack also killed Iran's top prosecutor, Ali Ghanaatkar. He was known for going after dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi. A big public funeral was held for him and about 60 other victims. This all happened during a wider conflict between Israel and Iran. Israel started attacking Iran on June 13, aiming to destroy Iran's nuclear program. Over 12 days, Israel said it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists. They also hit many military sites. In retaliation, Iran fired over 550 missiles at Israel, killing 28 people.