{"id":90757,"date":"2026-09-18T10:46:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=90757"},"modified":"2026-09-18T10:46:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:46:17","slug":"irans-regime-begins-demolishing-gohardasht-prison-raising-fears-of-evidence-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/1988-massacre\/2026\/09\/irans-regime-begins-demolishing-gohardasht-prison-raising-fears-of-evidence-destruction\/90757\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran’s Regime Begins Demolishing Gohardasht Prison, Raising Fears of Evidence Destruction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Gohardasht — Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, a key site linked to Iran\u2019s 1988 massacre, is being demolished amid calls to preserve evidence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The demolition of a key site linked to the 1988 massacre has prompted calls for urgent international action to preserve evidence.<\/h3>\n
Iranian authorities have begun demolishing Gohardasht Prison<\/strong> in Karaj, one of the principal sites associated with the detention and execution of political prisoners during the 1988 massacre. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>, demolition began on September 13, with officials planning to remove the surrounding walls within a month and clear the site for residential and commercial development.<\/p>\n
Gohardasht holds significant historical and evidentiary importance. Survivors have described its isolation cells, torture chambers, corridors, and notorious \u201cDeath Hall,\u201d where political prisoners were taken during the mass executions. Testimonies, sketches, and three-dimensional reconstructions of the prison later became important evidence in the Swedish prosecution of former Iranian prison official Hamid Noury<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The demolition has raised concerns that physical evidence could be permanently lost before independent investigators have an opportunity to examine and document the site. Architectural features and prison records could help corroborate survivor accounts and establish how prisoners were taken to execution locations.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udea8 Iran's state TV airs footage of the destruction of Gohardasht Prison, where thousands of political prisoners were extrajudicially executed during the #1988Massacre<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A blatant attempt to destroy evidence of crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n
CC: @drmaisato<\/a> @volker_turk<\/a> @AgnesCallamard<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/toB921hzZC<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) September 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n