Evin Prison

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Evin Prison (Persian: زندان اوین) is a prison in Iran, located in the northwestern Tehran. ^[1]. It is notorious for its political prisoners' wing, from before the 1979 Iranian Revolution and since.

Evin was designed and built in 1971 during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi at the foot of the Alborz mountains on what had been the home of Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee. It was run by SAVAK and originally designed to house 320 inmates -- 20 in solitary cells, and 300 in two large communal blocks. By 1977, it housed more than 1500, with 100 solitary cells. ^[2]

Under the Islamic Republic the prison population was again expanded significantly, holding 15,000 inmates according to scholar Ervand Abrahamian.^[3] "In theory, Evin was a detention center for those awaiting trial," after which the prisoners would be transferred to another prison, Qezel Hesar or Gohar Dast. "In reality, Evin served as a regular prison as many waited years before being brought to trial," and prominent prisoners often served their entire sentences in Evin." Execution also took place at Evin.^[4] Following the Islamic Revolution Mohammad Kachouyi was made warden of Evin. After his assassination in June 1981, Asadollah Lajevardi, the chief prosecutor of Tehran, was warden ^[5] until 1985.

Photography in front of and around the prison is illegal. On June 23, 2003, Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was arrested for taking photographs in front of the prison, an imprisonment which led to her beating and death in Iranian custody. Doctors examining Kazemi found evidence of rape, torture and skull fracture. The Iranian government alleged that she died from a stroke whilst being interrogated.^[6]

Notable prisoners at Evin before the 1979 revolution include Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani and Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri.

Marina Nemat spent 2 years in Evin from 1982, having participated in anti-revolutionary protests at her school. She has written about her torture and the death of her fellow students at the prison.

Recent notable political prisoners held at Evin have included Akbar Ganji (held there from 2000 to 2006), Mohsen Sazegara (in 2003), Nasser Zarafshan, as well as Hamid Pourmand (2005-6), Dariush Zahedi, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, on charges of espionage (2003), subsequently acquitted in 2004, and Ramin Jahanbegloo (2006).

Current prisoners include Ahmad Batebi, and Kian Tajbakhsh. ^[7].

The prison is located in a residential and commercial area known as Evin, next to the Saadat Abad district. There is a large park area with a popular upscale teahouse and restaurant located immediately next to it.

On May 2008 six Baha'is were taken there.

[edit] See also

[edit] References and notes

^ http://www.prisons.ir/en/?PHPSESSID=bc64352d477d010260bdcb67db150bd7
^ Abrahamian, Ervand, Tortured Confessions by Ervand Abrahamian, University of California Press, 1999, p.105
^ Abrahamian, Ervand, Tortured Confessions by Ervand Abrahamian, University of California Press, 1999, p.135-6
^ Abrahamian, Ervand, Tortured Confessions by Ervand Abrahamian, University of California Press, 1999, p.135
^ Abrahamian, Ervand, Tortured Confessions by Ervand Abrahamian, University of California Press, 1999, p.136
^ INDEPTH: ZAHRA KAZEMI CBC News Online | Updated November 16, 2005 Retrieved 25/09/07
^ Tehran Jails Iranian American Scholar After Long House Arrest

[edit] External links

Iran Human rights, a site with the latest updates on some violations of the human rights situation in Iran
Inside Iran's most notorious jail, BBC News report on a visit to the prison given by a group of domestic and foreign journalists.
Abrahamian, Ervand, Tortured Confessions, University of California Press, 1999