Over 100 Trans Inmates Presumed Dead After Israeli Airstrike Levels Evin Prison in Tehran

TEHRAN, July 8, 2025 — Over 100 transgender people held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison are missing and presumed dead after an Israeli missile strike “flattened” the prison’s transgender ward during the Gaza‑Iran conflict.

Israeli missiles hit Evin Prison on June 23, in the final day of the 12‑day war, killing at least 79 people—including 43 prison staff and several civilians—and destroying multiple sections of the prison, including the trans‑inmate unit.

Human rights lawyer Reza Shafakhah told The New York Times that around 100 trans inmates remain unaccounted for and are presumed dead following the destruction of their section. The UN Human Rights Office condemned the attack as a serious breach of international humanitarian law. Critics argue that executing a strike on a functioning prison, especially during visiting hours, demonstrates disregard for civilian safety, including inmates, families, lawyers, and medical staff.

Evin Prison, infamous for repeated human rights violations—torture, sexual assault, and executions—has detained high-profile dissidents including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi. Iran legally allows gender‑affirming surgeries, yet transgender people still endure social stigma, state coercion, and institutional violence. Arrests for “offending public decency” or “wearing repulsive makeup” have been reported.

Narges Mohammadi and 23 other current and former Evin inmates issued a joint statement calling the strike “a war crime,” emphasizing both Israeli culpability and increasing Iranian repression under the pretext of wartime security.

Read more: lgbtqnation.com/2025/07/100-trans-inmates-presumed-after-israeli-on-notorious-iranian