Iran says 5 inmates at Evin prison were killed in Israel’s airstrike on Tehran

TEHRAN (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on Iran’s capital last month killed five inmates at Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others, Iranian media reported Saturday.

The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran’s judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn’t name the victims or give any further details.

The judiciary’s own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that “small number” of inmates were killed. He added that an “insignificant number of inmates” had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody.

Jahangir said no one serving time at Evin prison for working with Israel’s spy agency Mossad was injured in the attack.

Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members.

It’s unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the airstrikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets “based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch.”

The New York-based Center for Human Rights had criticized Israel for striking the prison – seen as a symbol of repression of any opposition – saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets.

The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel.