“The terrifying Evin prison with super secure chains. The legacy of the dictatorial monarchy to the dictatorial rule of the Supreme Leader for the massacre of freedom fighters.”(Report from inside Evin)
Iran’s Evin Prison has been a symbol of the country’s theocratic regime for over four decades. The prison, along with its detention centers, has witnessed countless cases of brutal torture and executions of political prisoners and protesters. The situation in Evin Prison is dire, and the world needs to know about it.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our colleagues at the Iranian Human Rights Society. We have compiled a report on the current state of Evin Prison. This report sheds light on the horrific conditions in cell blocks 209, 240, 241, 2A, as well as the common areas 4 and 8.
Evin Prison passed down from the dictatorship of the Shah to the Islamic Republic of Iran. For over four decades, it a place where political dissidents and activists sent to silenced. The prison is notorious for its inhumane treatment of prisoners, including torture, solitary confinement, and executions.
The Iranian Human Rights Society urge help
The Iranian Human Rights Society is calling on all former Evin prisoners and those who have released from prisons across Iran and abroad to come forward and share their stories. We want to hear about the conditions you endured and the crimes you witnessed. By sharing your experiences with us.
We ask all prisoners and those who released from prisons across Iran to send reports on the conditions of prisons where they have served their sentences and witnessed various crimes, along with the dates, names, and details, through contacting the administrators of Iranian Human Rights Society via Telegram and X and Instagram. So that we can expose them.
The situation in Iran is dire, And it’s time for the international community to take action. The Iranian government must be accountable for its actions. And we also must do everything in our power to support those who are fighting for their rights.
We urge everyone to take action and speak out against the atrocities committed in Iran. And we must stand together in solidarity with the people of Iran and demand that their human rights respected.
We cannot allow Evin Prison to continue to be a symbol of oppression and brutality. It’s time for change, and it’s up to us to make it happen.
Inside Iran’s Secret Detention Center: Ward 209
Iran’s notorious Evin prison is home to one of the country’s most secretive detention centers, Ward 209. Located next to Andarzgah 4, the ward comprises three floors, including a basement, ground floor, and first floor. However, it’s possible that the basement has more levels that are unknown to the public.
Ward 209 is where the regime keeps special prisoners such as former guards and intelligence officers who possess sensitive information. These prisoners’ fate is unknown to the public, and they kept hidden from the outside world. Political prisoners who sentenced to death also kept in Ward 209 and executed there after their cases closed.
The ground floor of Ward 209 has two communal rooms that usually house over 15 inmates. After interrogation, prisoners usually sent to these communal rooms to determine their fate. The rooms known as Room 121 and Room 122, measuring approximately 6x7m each, with one toilet and two bathrooms. There are also two suites on the ground floor, known as Room 123 and Room 124, measuring 3x2m each. These rooms can accommodate up to four people, or six in crowded conditions, and have one toilet and bathroom.
The ground floor also has an open-air space measuring 6x6m where prisoners can get fresh air for 20 minutes a day.
The ground floor has two more rooms; an interview room (camera room) and a resting room. The interview room where prisoners questioned, while the resting room is where they can relax.
The first floor of Ward 209
The first floor of Ward 209 is in the shape of a “U” and has individual cells. Each cell is approximately 2x3m and has a toilet and bathroom. The first floor also has a small courtyard where prisoners can get fresh air for 20 minutes a day.
Ward 209 is notorious for its inhumane conditions and torture methods. Prisoners have reported beaten, electrocuted, and hung from their hands or feet for hours on end. They are denied access to medical care and adequate food and water.
In conclusion, Ward 209 is Iran’s most secretive detention center. Where political prisoners and former regime members kept hidden from the outside world. The conditions in Ward 209 are inhumane, with reports of torture and mistreatment rampant. The international community must put pressure on Iran to close down this detention center and ensure that prisoners treated humanely.
First floor Ward No. 209
First floor 209 of Evin prison includes 11 halls.
Each of these halls closed with a railing from start to finish. Each hall has about 10 individual cells, some of which converted into double cells, making them larger. These converted cells, known as suites, hold 4 to 5 prisoners. When the number of arrests increases, the top and bottom of the halls closed and 30-40 people placed in these halls, with the room doors left open. Each hall has 5 rooms, a 3*3 ventilation area, a bathroom, and a toilet.
And then there are individual halls that are 1 meter and 80 centimeters by 2 and a half meters. Some of these individuals have a toilet inside their rooms, which is a Western-style toilet, and a sink. Individuals in these cells take a shower twice a week and change clothes once a week. They also have ventilation for 20 minutes three times a week. In front of these halls, there is a main corridor with an approximate width of 2 meters, where the interrogation and nursery rooms are also located.
Halls 1, 2, 3, and 4 are for female prisoners and are located at the beginning of the hall.
Ward No. 240
Cell 240 is located in Evin prison behind door 8 in the northeast.
Cell 240 is located in a three-story building, with the top floor being 240. This cell is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence and is a subsidiary of 209.
Cell Band 240 consists of a hall with 40 individual cells, each measuring 1.5 meters by 2 meters. And each containing a Western-style toilet and a shower. And governed by the same rules as cell 209.
There are also two public cells, each accommodating up to 20 people. Cell 240 has an open-air corridor with a width of 2 meters and a length of 20 meters. Cell 240 consists of a hall with 40 individual cells, each measuring 1 and a half meters by 2 meters.
Ward No. 241
Article 241 consists of two parts. The first part located behind cell 7, which is under the control of the prison organization, and it is where disciplinary prisoners taken and where detainees of major protests and uprisings held. The other part, 241, is under the control of the Judiciary’s Information Protection and is located in the same building behind cell 8. The ground floor and the first floor belong to the same institution, while the top floor belongs to the Ministry of Intelligence (240).
The ground floor has a hall with approximately 20 rooms, each measuring 2 meters by 3 meters, also equipped with an Iranian-style toilet, shower, and washbasin, separated by a short wall.
The food in this detention center is the same low-quality prison food. There are 2 to 3 suite-like rooms where 3 to 4 prisoners kept.
The first floor consists of administrative offices and interrogation rooms. The prisoners in this detention center are completely blindfolded and also not allowed to see the guards. These prisoners must also be blindfolded in the courtyard and sit on a chair. Cell 241 is much more terrifying and inhumane than Cell 209.
2nd Detention Center
The 2nd Detention Center, located in Evin Prison and under the control of the Revolutionary Guards, is situated in the eastern part of Evin, behind Block 1 (Quarantine), and the sports hall.
This detention center consists of 2 floors, with the majority of the upper floor being the women’s detention center, with approximately 30-meter-long ventilation area, and a smaller section with a separate staircase consisting of 2 common rooms, approximately 50 meters long, including a bathroom and toilet for men, which is sometimes used by women if necessary.
The lower floor includes a guard room, a camera and monitoring room, 3 common cells, approximately 50 meters long, with a bathroom and toilet, and two smaller common cells, approximately 30 meters long, including a bathroom and toilet. It also has about 24 individual cells with dimensions of 2×3 meters, along with a toilet, and at least 2 individual cells measuring 2×5 meters without a toilet. There is a public bathroom with 5 showers and a public toilet with 5 units, as well as a rest room for the guards.
It also has two separate ventilation areas that separated by a door. The smaller ventilation area is 4×20 meters with 3 plane trees in the middle, and the larger ventilation area is 10×20 meters with 5 plane trees next to it.
Where is the interrogation rooms
The interrogation rooms are located in a separate building in the north of this complex, consisting of 3 or 4 floors.
The 4th floor is likely the basement, which can be accessed through a door from the larger ventilation area as well as from inside the building.
This detention center also has 2 separate suites for special detainees with separate facilities and ventilation located in the officer’s complex and the leadership room.
There is a room for delivering and exchanging clothes located at the end of the complex in a hall.
Cell for clergy prisoners
It should be noted that the famous Cell No. 2, known as the cell for clergy prisoners is located in front of this complex. The floors of the corridors and rooms are covered with carpet and also cleaned with a vacuum cleaner every Friday, and the walls made of white marble.
Inside each cell, there is an iPhone device for informing or talking to the guards or vice versa, as well as a guard officer (which work with separate devices to control). The fresh air is twice a day for half an hour. One shift is in the morning and the other is in the afternoon, both of which are mandatory. The shower is twice a week, and is located in front of this complex.
Inside each cell, there is an iPhone device for informing or talking to the guards or vice versa, as well as a guard officer (which done with separate buttons). The canteen is twice a day for half an hour. One shift is in the morning and the other is in the afternoon, both of which are mandatory.
The shower is twice a week.
At the beginning of each detention, a three or four-digit code given at the entrance, which used to identify and also to call the person. The water in this facility is not drinkable, and also each person given a water bottle with their number on it, which filled by the guard from the water cooler. The food is also in containers with lids and washable, and the prisoner’s code is written on it.
Each prisoner is given an underwear, a shirt, gray pants, and three blankets (for under, over, and under the head), as well as a soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste upon entry.
Individual purchases are prohibited. Only when entering the public cell, some detainees allowed to make purchases. They can also buy from among several items introduced, once every two or three weeks and in limited quantities.
Tea is given individually three times a day by the guard, and also in the collective cell, it is filled 2 to 3 times a day in the flask.
All rooms equipped with cameras and audio recording and constantly monitored 24/7. Heating and cooling done through air vents.
During the blackout, the lights go off and a row of colored LED lights turn on, and inside the collective cells there is a television set that powered off and controlled (by a remote control), and the prisoners are not allowed to have any other belongings.
Ward No. 8
This ward is about a four-story building that has four halls (7, 8, 9, and 10). Each hall has 11 rooms and a small Hosseiniyeh (religious institute like Mosques ). The size of the rooms is approximately 3 by 4 meters, and they can accommodate 15 prisoners.
There are two stores inside this building on different floors. A security guard (under the age of 18) is located on the ground floor. It has a 20-70 meter restaurant and a covered sports hall. Its swimming pool hall closed for several years due to malfunction and is not in operation. It has also a larger central hair salon and a Hussainiya (a place for Shia Muslim gatherings) which is approximately 1010 meters and located on the first floor.
Ward No. 4
Section 4 of Evin Prison is located in the western part of Evin. Section 4 situated right next to Section 209 (Ministry of Intelligence).
Currently, this section consists of four halls, one of which (Hall 2) used as the quarantine for Section 4. Currently, Hall 1 is allocated to prisoners accused of espionage.
Halls 1 and 2 each have 6 rooms. Halls 3 and 4 are two-story buildings. Hall 3 has 12 rooms, including 6 rooms on the upper floor and 6 rooms on the lower floor, with a shared ventilation system. The dimensions of the ventilation system are approximately 10×10. The ventilation systems in Halls 1, 3, and 4 are identical and similar in size. Hall 4 consists of 10 rooms, with Room 3 and Room 8 being large rooms with 33 beds.
The size of each room is approximately 4×6. The prisoners in Section 4 are both political and security prisoners, as well as those involved in financial and special economic crimes. Most of the time, Section 4 detains prisoners who not yet received a final verdict. However, sometimes there also prisoners sentenced to imprisonment in this section.
Where special prisoners kept
There is a guard’s room (called under eight) at the entrance, which has a small hall next to it. It includes 2 rooms and also an approximately 5*5 meters ventilation area, where special prisoners who associated with the government kept, usually no more than 3 or 4 people.
The chief’s room is located in the same compound under eight. On the first floor, there is a central mosque, which is about 10*10 meters, and the cultural section includes a library, a training room, also a workshop, marquetry, a mechanical room, a computer room, and also the chief of the cultural section’s room.
The staircase enters the main corridor on the second floor.
The Iranian Human Rights Society calling gain on all former Evin prisoners and those who have been released from prisons across Iran and abroad to come forward and share their stories. We want to hear about the conditions you endured and the crimes you witnessed. By sharing your experiences with us.
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