'STUCK AND TRAPPED' POLITICAL PRISONERS AT MERCY OF ISRAELI ATTACKS

When Mehraveh Khandan heard about Israel's evacuation order in Tehran last week, the first thing she thought of was her father. Reza Khandan, imprisoned for his human rights activism in 2024, was sitting in a cell in Tehran's Evin prison on the edge of the evacuation zone.

- By William Christou

She fielded calls from friends, who were breathless from the shock of the Israeli bombs as tens of thousands fled the Iranian capital. Her father, by contrast, had no way to flee. He was stuck.

“It was the most helpless and trapped moments in my entire life,” the 25-year-old said from Amsterdam.

On Monday, Mehraveh’s worst fear was realised when Israel struck Evin prison. CCTV footage showed the entrance exploding, with Iran’s judiciary confirming damage to parts of the prison. Relatives of prisoners told the Guardian there were injuries reported in wards four, seven and eight - where Reza was being held, though he was unharmed. The Guardian could not independently verify claims of injuries within the prison.