For me, hell was not the moment Israel attacked; hell was the moment they wouldn't open the door [of the cell] for us, recalls Motahareh Goonei, a political activist who found herself trapped in Iran's notorious Evin Prison during a targeted missile attack by Israel on June 23. The incident, part of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, saw the high-security prison on the outskirts of Tehran become a tragic scene of destruction, leading to the deaths of at least 80 individuals, including both inmates and prison staff. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) justified the strike, claiming the facility was being misused for intelligence operations against Israel. However, a report by Human Rights Watch condemned the attack as unlawfully indiscriminate, potentially constituting a war crime. Survivor accounts detail the mayhem, with guards initially attempting to prevent prisoners from escaping as they battled thick smoke and devastation. Eyewitness testimony reveals a harrowing mix of fear, desperation, and humanity as individuals attempted to aid one another amidst the chaos. Amidst rising concerns over the impact on civilian life, advocates argue that the attack breached international humanitarian laws concerning civilian protections in conflict zones. The account from Evin Prison serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of armed conflict.