An estimated 100 transgender prisoners have disappeared and are estimated to have died after Israeli airstrikes blocked parts of Iran’s Ebin prison late last month.
Israeli officials described the June 23 strike as “symbolic.” New York Times. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has been called retaliation for Iran’s missile attacks on civilian targets, and framed it as a form of liberation of Iran’s political prisoners.
Critics say Israel completely ignored the lives and safety of prisoners and began strikes at noon on a working day when the prison was full of visitors, lawyers and medical staff.
Iranian officials said at least 71 people were killed on the strike, including 43 prison staff and two drafted soldiers. Four civilians not employed in prison also died, including two children accompanying their parents. The death toll is believed to be insufficient and the number is expected to increase.
Iranian media reported that two areas of the prison had been attacked directly. There is a visitor center near the main entrance and a 47-bed hospital clinic within the compound.
Reviewed satellite images Washington Post And the research group’s forensic architecture showed multiple direct hits in prison. These included cell blocks, medical areas, administrative buildings and the infamous 209 ward.
Iranian-American businessman Saiamak Namaj said he was jailed in Evin for eight years on spying charges, accused by the US and human rights groups, and the prisoners felt caught up in two ruthless regimes.
“What I heard from prisoners and my friends is that they feel they are stuck during the evil regime that imprisons and tortures them.
An Israeli military spokesman said Washington Post Evin Prison has been used in “intelligence reporting efforts against Israel, including Counter Epion,” claiming that the strike was “acted precisely to mitigate harm to the imprisoned civilians to the greatest extent possible.”
Hours after the strike, security forces tied the prisoners in pairs and marched them from Evin at muzzle to transport them to other facilities amid Israeli airstrikes. Iranian officials say the prison was empty now.
As pointed out on transgender news sites Morning ErinIsrael has attempted to portray itself as LGBTQ-friendly to justify military action in Gaza and Palestine, establishing it as a rare, safe haven for LGBTQ people in areas where homosexuality is often criminalised.
The “pink wash” accusations – using LGBTQ-friendly messaging to distract people from human rights abuses – have been levelled in Israel by critics who point out that many anti-LGBTQ laws in the Middle East are being imposed by the power of European colonies. As conversation Note, classes often determine who was charged under these laws.
Evin’s housing, a transgender prisoner, reflects the complex reality of Iranian trans people. Transgender identity is legally recognized, but that perception arises from the state – and Islamic law. Rejection of homosexuality. Some gay and lesbian Iranians are reportedly forced into transition-related surgeries to comply with a system that only accepts heterosexual relationships.
The lives of trans people in Iran are still challenging, even for legally transitioning people. Those who do not comply with gender norms may face discrimination, arrest or prosecution under laws prohibiting mutual public dressing.
According to 2021 Iran Wire Daniel Keyvanfer’s report, Evin housed many LGBTQ inmates who were jailed for charges ranging from “nude” and “women’s behavior” to theft and fraud. They reportedly were detained Deplorable situationwas exposed to lonely confinement and faced regular threats of violence from security guards and fellow prisoners. Some were limited to underground units without amenities, outdoor access, or prison shops, and complaints were routinely ignored.
“We’ve been incarcerated for a long time in these tough situations,” one prisoner said. Iran Wire About their time in the basement. “We were trapped in solitary cells for a long time and now we are cursed by living underground. When we raise these issues with our families, they say this is what we deserve.
The fate of missing trans prisoners remains unknown, a harsh outcome of conflicts where human rights are often collateral damage.
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Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
