Tens of thousands held in Iran ‘black box’ detention sites report finds
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According to reports, tens of thousands of Iranians are being held in “black box” detention centers with no judicial review, no official records and no way for families to confirm whether their loved ones are alive.
Facilities – which National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says it is modeled on prison camps of the 1980s – sparking alarm among human rights advocates amid nationwide unrest.
“These sites were first used in Iran in the 1980s and were residential compounds within Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran,” he added.
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The government tax building burned down on a street in Tehran, Iran, during Iranian protests, January 19, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asian News Agency) via Reuters)
“Female prisoners affiliated with MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) were confined and subjected to torture,” he added, describing how women were “forced to live in coffin-like boxes or sit in squatting positions, deprived of sleep and food.”
“If they spoke, they beat them. Today we heard of similar prisons being used that operate outside Iran’s official prison system,” he said.
Iranian authorities have reportedly used these unofficial detention facilities for interrogation during protests, with detainees being held without registration or access to legal counsel.
Iranian Center for Human Rights (CHRI) called the facilities “one of the most serious concerns documented” by the organization.
In a new report, CHRI warned that detainees virtually disappear from these areas when released from the formal prison system.
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Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The absence of any document trail and legal oversight leaves individuals extremely vulnerable to exploitation.
The risks of torture, forced confessions, sexual abuse and death in custody in these facilities are extreme, CHRI said.
Outside of facilities, families are often traumatized by having to spend days outside of courts and prisons that refuse to hold their children, the report said.
“The exact locations of these black box sites are unknown, which is part of their function,” Safavi said. he said.
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Iranian security forces switched from pellet guns to live ammunition during the protests. (Getty)
“This ensures complete isolation and no access or contact. The agents inside can use whatever methods they choose, just like Ghezel Hesar Prison in the 1980s,” he explained.
“Secret sites eliminate witnesses and prevent documents that could lead to leaks,” Safavi said.
The findings come as reports emerge of increased executions in Iran following recent protests in which thousands of people were killed at the hands of the religious regime.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on Monday that at least 17 prisoners were executed across Iran over a two-day period.
The CHRI report comes as Iranians living in exile gather in Europe to protest the regime and others commemorate 40 days since the January 2026 uprising.
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At the same time, the HANA Human Rights Organization said that at least 24 children, including a 3-year-old child, were killed by direct fire from security forces during protests across the country.
