Prisons in Iran damaged as U.S.-Israeli airstrikes hit security sites

Iranian detention centers, which hold people swept up in a government crackdown on protests as well as others accused of criminal activity, have been damaged in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. At least two sites in Tehran suffered moderate damage from nearby blasts, and videos and satellite imagery show that at least one detention center was struck and heavily damaged.

Prisons swelled after large protests earlier this winter, and Amnesty International reported in January that tens of thousands had been "arbitrarily detained," though it is unclear how many remain in custody. Families say they have been unable to reach relatives; Taghi Rahmani, whose wife Narges Mohammadi is a Nobel laureate and human-rights activist, said, "We’ve entered a dark tunnel.

There’s no telling when we’ll come out of it." He learned his wife had been moved from Evin to a prison in Zanjan two weeks before the attacks began. Relatives of other detainees described similar uncertainty.

Iran, Tehran, Zanjan

iran, prisons, detention centers, airstrikes, tehran, evin prison, zanjan, amnesty international, narges mohammadi, protests