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Al-Monitor – Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei ordered an investigation into abuses at Evin Prison after leaked videos were published online and in foreign media. His letter to Mohammad Montazeri, the prosecutor general, ordered a report to be presented “without delay about the behaviors of the officers with prisoners.”
A hacker group calling itself “Ali’s Justice” claims to have hacked the video cameras inside the prison and released them online. The video shows prisoners being slapped repeatedly and dragged on the floor across stairs, among other violent acts. The hackers reportedly wrote on the prison screens, “Evin is a mark of shame on Raisi’s black turban and white beard.” The message also called for “nationwide protests until all political prisoners are freed.”
Evin Prison ward Mohammad Mehdi Haj Mohammadi accepted responsibility for the “unacceptable behavior” of prison officials. In a tweet, he vowed it would not be repeated and those behind the acts would be confronted.
Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Rezaei, member of the powerful National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, also addressed the Evin videos. He referred to the entire incident as “unfortunate” not only for the way some prisoners were treated but because the entire judiciary and prison was depicted in a negative light. Rezaei said those who abused the prisoners must be prosecuted, but he added the entire prison system should not be blamed for the actions of a few.
Rezaei also said he has personally visited a number of prisons, and what has been reported by Saudi-funded, UK-funded and pro-MEK media about the harsh conditions is not accurate. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf tasked the parliament’s Article 90 Commission to work alongside the prosecutor general in their investigation of the abuse.
Allegations of abuse at Evin Prison are not uncommon. The northern Tehran facility has earned a notorious reputation as the location where many political prisoners are held. The Intelligence Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also reportedly run specific wards not under the purview of prison officials.
Those responsible for abuse of prisoners in the past have rarely faced real consequences. At most, some have been moved to other posts in the country. President Ebrahim Raisi’s Chief of Staff Gholam Hossein Ismaili was former head of prisons and was forced to resign after an infamous prison riot. Rather than face a demotion, he received essentially a promotion by being appointed as prosecutor general of Tehran province.
