More than 100 trans prisoners are missing and presumed dead following a deadly airstrike on Iran’s notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. The attack, carried out by Israeli forces during the 12-day war with Iran, took place on June 23, just one day before a ceasefire was announced.
Evin Prison, opened in 1972, has long been associated with severe human rights abuses, including torture, sexual violence, and prolonged solitary confinement. It houses political prisoners, journalists, and academics, including past detainees like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi.
According to Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, 71 people were confirmed dead, including guards, staff, visiting relatives, prisoners, and civilians living nearby. But the toll may be far higher. Prominent human rights lawyer Reza Shafakhah told The New York Times that around 100 trans inmates are missing, with their section of the prison completely destroyed.
Authorities reportedly say they are presumed dead.
She added, “The Iranian government often treats being trans as a crime.”
Although gender transition is legal in Iran, trans people face systemic discrimination and abuse.
In 2019, Peace-Mark magazine quoted one trans inmate:
“When you go to the Transgender Ward, you can’t even see the sunlight… except for two times, I hadn’t seen the sunlight.”
This is yet another tragic reminder of the peril facing LGBTQ lives globally.
