Reactions continue following the shocking leaks that revealed horrifying practices carried out by Iranian security at the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. On Wednesday, the Office of Democracy and Human Rights at the U.S. State Department stated that the leaked footage from Evin confirms that torture is systematic in Iranian prisons. The office also called on Iran to release all political prisoners.
These American statements came a day after video clips emerged from inside the prison, showing various violations against detainees published by a group of hackers who breached the prison's surveillance cameras to shed light on the injustices inflicted on prisoners and dissenting detainees in the country.
An Iranian official admitted the authenticity of the clips. Mohamed Mehdi Haj Mohammadi, head of the Iranian Prison Organization, acknowledged on Tuesday that the footage was accurate. In a tweet, as reported by the Associated Press, he stated that he bears responsibility for these "unacceptable behaviors" in this prison, which houses many political opponents and foreign or dual-national detainees, often used by Tehran as bargaining chips with the West.
It is noteworthy that Evin Prison was established in 1971 and has witnessed a series of abuses that escalated after the Iranian revolution, which continue to this day.
