Iran: 71 killed in Israeli attack on Evin prison in Tehran

Israel's attack on the notorious Evin prison in Tehran earlier this week killed at least 71 people, an Iranian spokesman said on Sunday.

The figures from spokesman Asghar Jahangir were released on the official outlet for the Iranian judiciary, Mizan.

Among the "martyrs" were prison staff, conscripts, inmates and their family members, Jahangir said. The reports cannot be independently verified.

The Evin prison has been notorious for decades as the site of serious human rights violations against political dissidents.

The Israeli air force bombed Evin on Monday in what it described as a symbolic blow against the Iranian government.

Iranian activists condemned the attack, saying it endangered the lives of political prisoners.

According to reports, buildings in the administrative part of the building were destroyed.

Inmates are said to have been transferred to other detention centres after the attack, where conditions are reportedly even worse.

Public prosecutor Ali Ghanatkar is believed to be among those killed in the Israeli attack.

He was partly responsible for the conviction of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was herself in the prison.

The strikes on Evin prison came during the recent war between Israel and Iran, shortly before the ceasefire came into effect on June 24.