The Iranian government has destroyed one of the last remaining watchtowers at Gohardasht Prison, also known as Raja’i Shahr Prison, potentially erasing critical evidence of past crimes against humanity at the notorious facility, Persian media footage showed. The demolition took place on Saturday, following the prison’s evacuation and official closure in 2023.
Demolition of Watchtower Threatens Evidence at Gohardasht Prison
Footage shared across Persian media networks on Saturday documented the destruction of the watchtower at the shuttered Gohardasht facility. Human rights organizations previously warned that the Iranian authorities might dismantle the site to eliminate physical traces of decades of systemic abuses. The facility gained notoriety for housing thousands of political prisoners following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Until its closure, domestic and international monitors documented widespread torture and other abuses at the site. The prison served as a location for the mass executions of political dissidents during the 1980s, which included hundreds of prisoners killed during the 1988 massacre ordered by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The site’s history formed the core of a Swedish legal case against Hamid Nouri, who was sentenced to life for his role in the executions and abuses before his return to Iran in 2024.
Contrasting Official Redevelopment Plans With Historical Accounts
State-affiliated Iranian media reported that the regime has framed the demolition and subsequent site clearance as an opportunity to provide parks, educational spaces, and cultural facilities. However, former detainees dispute the official narrative. Mehdi Aslani, a former political prisoner held at Gohardasht, told Iran International that the razing represents an intentional effort to obliterate the physical geography of a major historical tragedy.
They say this is for urban redevelopment,
Aslani said, describing the plan to build public amenities on the grounds. They want to build a park and educational facilities on yesterday’s blood-soaked ground. And this is the bitter irony and injury of history.
When authorities announced the facility’s closure in 2023, an informed source told Iran Human Rights that prison management informed inmates the complex had been sold for 10,000 billion tomans, equivalent to approximately 200 million euros, without disclosing the buyer’s identity.
International Warnings Over the Erasure of Historical Atrocities
Human rights defenders have long argued that dismantling the prison infrastructure serves to protect high-ranking officials within the current government. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, stated shortly after the initial sale announcement that Gohardasht stands as a place where crimes against humanity were perpetrated by individuals currently holding key positions in the Islamic Republic. Amiry-Moghaddam warned that destroying physical evidence remained one of the key motivations behind the regime’s decision to close the property.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Gohardasht Prison Demolition
When was Gohardasht Prison officially closed and evacuated?
Iranian authorities evacuated and closed Gohardasht Prison, also referred to as Raja’i Shahr Prison, in 2023 following decades of documented human rights violations.
How much did the Iranian regime reportedly sell the prison site for?
An informed source told Iran Human Rights at the time of the closure that prison authorities informed inmates the facility had been sold for 10,000 billion tomans, or approximately 200 million euros, without revealing the buyer.
Which international legal case previously centered on crimes committed at this facility?
The site served as central evidence in the Swedish prosecution of Hamid Nouri, who received a life sentence for his involvement in prison executions before being traded back to Iran in 2024.
Unresolved Questions Surrounding the Site Sale and Future Ownership
Despite official statements regarding public park and university developments from Iranian state media, the ultimate financial beneficiaries of the multi-billion toman property transaction remain undisclosed by authorities. Independent verification of the private buyer’s identity has not been provided by state officials, leaving the true commercial control of the former execution site unconfirmed.