Following the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran, Iranian media outlets have drawn renewed attention to prison conditions as Iranian authorities intensify their crackdown on dissent through a sharp rise in arrests, executions and other forms of repression. Human rights violations have reportedly affected broad segments of society, including political, civil and human rights activists, with allegations ranging from psychological and physical torture to the systematic denial of fundamental rights, particularly access to medical care and healthcare services. These developments have reinforced perceptions of the prison system as a central instrument for silencing dissent and consolidating state control over a society strained by the war’s consequences. The situation has also prompted growing international scrutiny and condemnation from human rights organizations. Against this backdrop, this report examines three key issues: the impact of the US-Israel war on Iran’s prisons and detainees; the most prominent prisoners currently held in Iranian detention facilities; and the international response, as well as the positions adopted by leading human rights organizations.
The Consequences of the US-Israel War on Iranian Prisons and Prisoners
The US-Israel war exposed and exacerbated the hardships faced by inmates in Iranian prisons, highlighting the growing vulnerability of the country’s detention system. Prisoners were confronted with a dual threat: the external dangers posed by the conflict such as air strikes and deteriorating security conditions, and the internal risks stemming from the authorities’ punitive policies. This was most evident in the June 2025 strike on Evin prison, which caused extensive damage to prison facilities, severely disrupted essential services and left dozens of prisoners and staff dead or injured.
Beyond the immediate impact of the conflict, the Iranian authorities reportedly exploited the wartime environment to intensify their campaign of repression. The war provided a pretext for expanding systematic crackdowns, reviving national security rhetoric, strengthening the state’s security apparatus and fostering a climate of fear across society. Political, civil and human rights activists were particularly targeted, as the authorities have long regarded them as potential catalysts for public mobilization and dissent. Their calls for rights, reform and political change continue to resonate with the public, making them a primary focus of the state’s efforts to suppress opposition.
According to World Population Review, Iran was estimated to hold approximately 15,000 political prisoners in 2026. The country’s escalating use of capital punishment has disproportionately affected political detainees, with human rights sources reporting that around 70% of those executed were political activists. At the same time, rights organizations estimate that nearly 40,000 people — journalists, civil society activists, lawyers, students, members of ethnic and religious minorities, political dissidents and children — have been subjected to arbitrary arrest. The crackdown has been accompanied by a sharp increase in death sentences. According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at least 30 death sentences were issued during the reporting period and 13 executions were allegedly carried out in secret at prisons in Qom, Karaj, Mashhad and Isfahan. Hengaw also documented 1,639 publicly announced executions by the end of 2025. Human rights groups have linked these measures to the authorities’ response to the January 2026 protests, which coincided with widespread internet shutdowns and digital communication blackouts. Those detained have commonly faced charges such as espionage on behalf of hostile states, collusion against national security and insulting the supreme leader.
Conditions inside Iranian prisons reflect a profound deterioration in human rights standards. Numerous reports describe severe overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and hygiene, substandard living conditions, poor nutrition and insufficient ventilation, creating an environment that poses serious risks to detainees’ health and well-being. Access to healthcare remains severely restricted, with chronic shortages of medicines and limited medical services. Many prisoners are reportedly denied fundamental rights like the rights to life, human dignity and adequate medical treatment, both within prisons and through access to specialized care outside detention facilities, particularly in life-threatening cases. Human rights organizations have also documented a broad range of physical and psychological torture, forced confessions, prolonged solitary confinement and other forms of ill-treatment. Reported violations further include the confiscation of personal property, restrictions on communication with family members, denial of visitation rights, the transfer of detainees to undisclosed locations, the withholding of information regarding their whereabouts, enforced disappearances and the denial of access to legal counsel.
In some cases, executions have reportedly been carried out without prior notice to detainees’ families and under conditions of strict secrecy, intensifying concerns over due process and transparency. These practices have prompted relatives of prisoners and civil society activists to organize protest initiatives, including the revival of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign and coordinated hunger strikes in 56 prisons across the country. At the same time, authorities have imposed exceptionally high bail amounts for the temporary release of some detainees, placing significant financial burdens on their families and fueling broader public discontent amid concerns over the potential for renewed conflict. The repercussions of these policies extend well beyond those directly detained. When prisoners or executed individuals are the primary or sole providers for their households, their families often face severe economic hardship, psychological trauma and social instability.
Most Notable Iranian Prisoners Behind Bars
Iran’s campaign of arrests, prosecutions and executions has affected a wide cross-section of society, encompassing political and human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, physicians, artists and other members of civil society. Among the most internationally recognized detainees is Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is serving a 31-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin prison. A leading advocate for human rights, women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty, Mohammadi has reportedly experienced a significant deterioration in her health during detention. Reports indicate that she was transferred to a hospital in Tehran only after repeated appeals for medical treatment and the payment of a substantial bail.
Another high-profile case is that of Fatemeh Sepehri, a political activist serving an 18-year sentence in Vakilabad prison in Mashhad. Sepehri is among the signatories of the “Statement of 14,” which called for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and is a recipient of the 2024 Humanitarian Award from the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI). Despite reportedly suffering from serious health conditions, along with complications related to previous open-heart surgery, she has allegedly been denied adequate medical care.
Other widely reported cases include Mohtaram Barandin, a visual artist known as “Mahshar,” who has reportedly been denied treatment despite suffering from cancer and heart disease; Yasaman Aryani, a prominent human rights activist imprisoned for her opposition activities; and lawyer Setareh Ansari, who faces charges related to participating in protests and signing public statements, while the circumstances of her arrest and place of detention remain unclear. Additional prominent cases include lawyer and human rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was temporarily released on bail on May 13, 2026; writer and political activist Golrokh Iraee, known for her advocacy of civil liberties and human rights; and lawyer Elham Zeraatpisheh, who was reportedly arrested under unclear circumstances. The crackdown has also extended to the medical profession. Reports indicate that at least 83 healthcare workers have been arrested, with 47 later released on bail, which included physician Mohibat Ghafouri. Several detainees are also reportedly facing capital charges. They include engineer Ehsan Afrasheteh and political prisoner Erfan Shakouzadeh, both accused of espionage, as well as Mohammad Abbasi, who has been charged with killing a police officer during the January 2026 protests.
International Responses and Positions of Human Rights Organizations
International responses and the positions adopted by human rights organizations on developments in Iran reflect a notable evolution in the global human rights discourse. What was once primarily framed as a matter of documenting domestic repression has increasingly come to encompass the broader humanitarian consequences of armed conflict, where the Iranian authorities’ record of human rights abuses intersects with the impact of external military operations on civilians and detainees. Initially, international attention focused on arbitrary arrests, executions, political repression, restrictions on fundamental freedoms and other documented abuses committed by the Iranian authorities. However, the escalation of the US-Israeli military campaign broadened that focus to include the protection of civilians and detainees affected by attacks on civilian infrastructure, hospitals, schools, universities and prisons.
Particular concern has centered on the strike against Evin prison on June 23, 2025, which reportedly destroyed key prison facilities and killed at least 80 prisoners and prison personnel. Human rights organizations argued that, if carried out indiscriminately or without a legitimate military objective, such an attack could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime or, depending on the circumstances, a crime against humanity. The incident underscored the heightened vulnerability of detainees, who, by virtue of their confinement, are unable to protect themselves or flee areas under attack.
Under international law, the responsibility for safeguarding prisoners rests with the detaining state, which is obligated to ensure their safety and guarantee access to essential necessities, adequate medical care, food, sanitation and humane living conditions. Failure to meet these obligations extends beyond administrative negligence and may constitute a breach of the state’s legal and humanitarian responsibilities. In this regard, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) serve as the principal international framework governing the treatment of detainees. The rules establish standards designed to protect prisoners’ dignity, safeguard their fundamental rights, ensure access to healthcare and due process and prohibit torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The plight of prisoners in Iran has become increasingly complex, as detainees find themselves exposed to two overlapping sources of risk: the consequences of external military attacks and the Iranian authorities’ continued use of repression and human rights abuses within the prison system. This convergence has reshaped international assessments of the issue, transforming it from a matter of domestic human rights violations into one involving intersecting obligations under both international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Although international pressure has had limited practical impact, largely because of Tehran’s longstanding rejection of external scrutiny, it has prompted a more assertive response from the UN, governments and human rights organizations.
The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran has called for investigations into, and the prosecution of, Iranian officials allegedly responsible for serious human rights violations, arguing that such abuses should be addressed through international accountability mechanisms. Similarly, Iran Human Rights has warned of the enforced disappearance of dozens of detainees, the denial of effective legal representation, and the risk that defendants could face summary proceedings resulting in capital punishment, holding Iran’s judiciary and security institutions responsible for these alleged violations.
The Iranian Prisons Oversight Committee has likewise urged the international community to intensify diplomatic pressure on Tehran by seeking the deployment of an independent international fact-finding mission, securing the release of political prisoners, halting executions and ending restrictions on internet access. It has further argued that these demands should feature prominently in future international engagement with Iran.
Medical and human rights bodies have also emphasized the state’s obligations toward detainees. The World Medical Association (WMA) has called on the Iranian authorities to guarantee prisoners access to necessary medical care, stressing that governments must uphold the international human rights treaties to which they are party and ensure the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for all individuals, inclusive of those in detention. In addition, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran and the UN high commissioner for human rights have reiterated Iran’s obligations under international law. The Group of Seven has condemned the intimidation, repression, violence, and arbitrary detention of Iranian citizens and warned that additional restrictive measures could be adopted should the authorities continue to suppress protests and political dissent. Support has also been expressed for prominent detainees. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has called on Iran to allow Mohammadi to receive appropriate medical treatment under the supervision of an independent medical team. Bishop Peter Kohlgraf had previously called for the provision of care for prisoner Nasrin Sotoudeh, whose case has received considerable attention from Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Conclusion
Despite the severe economic and social pressures facing Iranian society as a result of the war, the Iranian government’s efforts to contain the repercussions and alleviate public discontent have been fruitless. This has pushed the authorities to rely increasingly on coercive measures, intimidation and accusations of treason and collaboration with foreign powers. These policies have further heightened risks for the population by expanding campaigns of repression, arrests and executions aimed at consolidating control. Such developments could push Iran into a more critical and dangerous phase, marked by rising tensions, social unrest, and deepening internal divisions. They may also contribute to a broader popular backlash or an uprising that could surpass the authorities’ ability to contain it, particularly amid the renewed escalation between the United States and Iran and the continued uncertainty surrounding the country’s domestic situation, especially its economic and security conditions. These factors could intensify public pressure on the government to address the mounting livelihood and security challenges confronting the Iranian people.
