Growing Alarm for Iran’s Political Prisoners as U.S.-Israeli Strikes Intensify

Human rights groups and family members are raising urgent alarms for political prisoners across Iran after recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, warning that detainees — including 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi — face an increased risk of violence, neglect and secret executions as the government comes under military pressure.

Rights Groups and Families Warn of Escalating Danger

In a statement shared with TIME, the Paris office of Mohammadi’s foundation said:

"History has shown that the Islamic Republic has repeatedly and systematically exploited war to escalate violence against political prisoners."

The Narges Foundation said it was "profoundly concerned" for Mohammadi, who was arrested in December after protesting the suspicious death of a fellow activist and is currently held in a prison in Zanjan, northwest of Tehran — a city recently struck by a powerful explosion.

Past Attacks and Current Fears

Many political detainees remain at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, which Human Rights Watch found was hit during Israel’s 12-day assault on Iran last June. That investigation concluded the attack — which happened during visiting hours — involved eight strikes and killed at least 80 people, including prisoners and social workers. Israeli officials described Evin as a site of "government repression."

After the latest round of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Saturday, families gathered at prison gates seeking information but received none, the Iran Human Rights Society reported. The group said it had received reports that some prison staff abandoned posts and that food distribution was suspended in certain wards.

Conditions Inside Detention Facilities

The Narges Foundation and other monitors cited reports of food shortages and reduced medical care at additional detention sites, notably Qezelhesar and Lakan. Mohammadi — a former journalist who wrote an eyewitness account of a large fire at Evin during the 2023 protests — has repeatedly warned about dangerous conditions for political prisoners.

Fears of Secret Executions

Human rights organizations also warned that ongoing blackouts and restricted communications raise the risk that death sentences could be carried out in secret without timely notification to lawyers or families. Observers note a sharp rise in executions: in 2025 Iran reportedly hanged more than 2,000 people, a pace that one researcher described as "an execution spree unseen in decades."

Advocates say immediate steps are needed: independent monitoring access to prisons, transparent communication with families and legal representatives, and international scrutiny to ensure detainees receive basic protections and medical care.

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