More than 600 political prisoners were transferred back to Tehran’s Evin Prison early Friday, jailed activist Mehdi Mahmoudian said, after being held in Greater Tehran Penitentiary since the June 23 Israeli missile strike that damaged the facility.
The transfer began around 4 a.m. on Friday and included detainees arrested before and after the strike, according to Mahmoudian's Telegram channel. Prisoners were placed in Wards 7 and 8, with no prior notice given to families.
Security officers attempted to separate death-row political prisoners from others during the move, sparking protests, Iran International has learned. Several inmates, including veteran activist Mostafa Tajzadeh and Mahmoudian himself, were beaten.
Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency also acknowledged the return of some inmates, reporting on Friday that parts of Evin Prison had resumed operations. The brief report did not specify how many prisoners were moved back, which wards were reopened, or what conditions they now face.
Conditions in Greater Tehran Penitentiary
Mahmoudian said the earlier relocation to Greater Tehran Penitentiary had exposed “inhumane” conditions: poor sanitation, shortages of basic supplies, and harsh living circumstances. He argued that with Evin still unrepaired, the return was not a sign of improved conditions but a “stubborn and irrational” attempt by authorities to project normalcy.
June 23 strike killed 71, Iran says
The transfers come 45 days after Israel struck Evin Prison, calling it a “tool of repression.” Iran’s judiciary said 71 people were killed, including guards, staff, inmates, visiting relatives, and nearby residents.
Facilities destroyed in the strike included several wards, the infirmary, and the visitation hall. Victims included prison prosecutor Ali Ghanaatkar, two senior officials, medical staff, and at least one child.
Harsh relocation after attack
Following the June strike, surviving inmates were forcibly evacuated and sent to Greater Tehran Prison, Ghezel Hesar, and Qarchak Women’s Prison. Rights groups documented severe overcrowding, lack of clean water, food shortages, and denial of medical treatment.
"In the past few months, the regime has been escalating its efforts to target civilians in Europe and North America, not least those from within the Iranian diaspora and Jewish community," United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) said in a statement.
"These acts of transnational repression, which are a flagrant violation of Europe and North America’s territorial sovereignty, must be met with severe consequences," UANI Chairman Governor Jeb Bush and CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said.
On July 31, the United States and thirteen allied countries accused Iran of plotting to kill, kidnap and intimidate individuals in Europe and North America, citing violations of sovereignty and links to international criminal networks.
“These services are increasingly collaborating with international criminal organizations to target journalists, dissidents, Jewish citizens, and current and former officials,” the US State Department said in a joint statement with European countries.
The UANI statement applauded the US and its European allies for condemning what it called the Islamic Republic's "continuous acts of transnational repression on Western soil."
However, Bush and Wallace stressed that such statements "need to be paired with a diplomatic isolation campaign, sanctions, and the credible threat of targeted military force."
"These cases cannot be handled solely as law enforcement matters where once the authorities thwart the terror plots, the situation is brushed under the rug. This only emboldens the Islamic Republic’s terrorism as it will calculate the benefits outweigh the costs."
The UANI statement urged Western governments to “be on heightened alert for terror plots targeting Jewish communities as well as the Iranian diaspora,” citing explicit death threats from Iran’s intelligence ministry against 45 Iran International journalists.
"It is time to hold #Iran's regime accountable for transnational repression. Just today the regime threatened to execute @IranIntl journalists and their families. It's unacceptable," former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said in a post on X.
Iran International on Tuesday filed an urgent appeal with United Nations experts urging them to take action against Tehran over serious risks to the lives and safety of their journalists worldwide and relatives inside Iran.
Over the past six weeks, the Iranian authorities have intimidated and threatened 45 journalists and 315 of their family members with death unless they stop working for Iran International by specific deadlines, Iran International said in a statement.
Since its formation in 2017, Iran International journalists have been targeted by the Iranian authorities for their reporting. However, since the start of a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in mid-June, the situation has deteriorated rapidly and there is now a real risk to the lives of multiple Iran International staff and to their family members.
Vadi, who held a doctorate in reactor engineering, had co‑authored a 2011 research paper with senior Iranian nuclear experts later killed during the June conflict with Israel, according to his Google Scholar profile.
According to the Telegram channel of Amir Kabir University, Vadi was a doctoral graduate of the university. He co-authored a paper with Abdolhamid Minouhchehr and Ahmad Zolfaghari, two prominent nuclear specialists killed during the 12-day war.
The judiciary said he was convicted of transferring classified information about one of the scientists killed in those attacks to Mossad.
Its official outlet Mizan reported that Vadi “knowingly and deliberately” cooperated with Israel’s intelligence service.
'Paid crypto'
Officials alleged he was recruited online, vetted by a Mossad officer using the alias Alex, and later assigned to a handler known as Kevin.
After his evaluation, Mossad allegedly determined that Vadi’s workplace and level of access made him a high‑value source,according to the judiciary.
He was then introduced to “one of Mossad’s top divisions.” At his request, payments were made monthly via a cryptocurrency wallet rather than a reward‑per‑mission system.
According to the case file, Vadi was instructed to buy a dedicated phone, laptop, and two flash drives to establish secure communications. After receiving technical training, he was tasked with gathering and transmitting sensitive and classified materials.
Widespread crackdown
Iran would “deal decisively and legally with spies,” referring to ongoing investigations following the June conflict with Israel, Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Tuesday during a visit to North Khorasan Province.
Ejei recently said that more than 2,000 people had been arrested during and after the 12-day war, some of whom face the death penalty on charges of “organizational collaboration with the enemy.”
Amnesty International condemned the surge in executions and warned of further imminent deaths.
Iran Human Rights reported that 21 people were executed during the June conflict period, including six men charged with spying for Israel.
Among earlier executions was Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi-Shayesteh, accused of leading a Mossad-linked cyber group.
According to Amnesty, Iran was responsible for 64 percent of all recorded executions worldwide in 2024, and has carried out 612 hangings in the first half of 2025 alone.
Meetings in Vienna
Following initial data transfers, Vadi was reportedly sent to Vienna, where he had previously attended professional training, to meet Mossad officers in person.
On five occasions, he allegedly met them in Austria’s capital under what Iranian authorities described as “high‑level security protocols,” including multiple location changes, vehicle swaps, body searches, and use of “special meeting clothing” before talks began.
During these meetings, Vadi underwent psychological testing and a polygraph exam to assess loyalty and information accuracy. He was then re‑tasked to provide weekly updates on organizational developments and answer technical questions, with payments adjusted accordingly.
The judiciary said Vadi resisted instructions to send large batches of data all at once but ultimately transferred a collection of classified material, including information on the slain nuclear scientist.
Arrest and trial
Iran’s intelligence services said they placed Vadi under surveillance after one of his trips to Vienna. He was eventually arrested in Tehran, and prosecutors charged him with “espionage and intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime in exchange for a specified payment.”
The court, citing Article 6 of the Law on Combating Hostile Actions of the Zionist Regime Against Peace and Security, along with other articles of the Islamic Penal Code, sentenced him to death for “extensive crimes against domestic and foreign security” and for “causing serious disruption to public order.”
The Supreme Court upheld the verdict, and the sentence was carried out on August 5, 2025.
