Judiciary Begins Demolition of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj

Iran's Prisons Organization began demolishing Gohardasht Prison (also known as Rajai Shahr) in Karaj on September 13, 2026. The organization's head said the work was carried out 'by explicit order of Judiciary leadership' and would be 'completed within a month.' Human rights monitors have linked the demolition to a broader pattern of destroying physical evidence at Iranian detention and mass-grave sites this year, including the bulldozing of Plot 41 at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery and sites in Khavaran, Tabriz, Mashhad and Ahvaz — prompting more than 1,100 family members of victims to send a formal protest letter to the United Nations.