Iran Accused of Running Secret Detention Sites Holding Thousands, Reports Claim

Tens of thousands of Iranians have disappeared into secretive “black box” detention facilities operating without judicial oversight or official records, according to disturbing new reports from human rights organizations.

These clandestine sites, which the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claims are modeled after prison camps from the 1980s, have become a growing concern amid continued unrest across the country. Unlike official prisons, detainees held in these locations effectively vanish from the system, with no way for families to confirm if their loved ones are alive.

“These sites were initially used in the 1980s in Iran and were residential compounds inside Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran,” said an NCRI representative. “Female prisoners affiliated with MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) were confined and subjected to torture, forced to live in coffin-like boxes or sit in squatting positions, deprived of sleep and food. If they spoke, they were beaten. We have heard that similar prisons are being used today that operate outside the formal Iranian prison system.”

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has described these facilities as “among the gravest concerns documented” in their latest report. When detainees are removed from the formal prison system, they effectively disappear into these sites, leaving them highly vulnerable to abuse with no legal protections.

“The precise locations of these black box sites are unknown, which is part of their function,” the NCRI representative explained. “This ensures total isolation and no access or contact. Agents inside are able to employ whatever methods they choose, much like at Ghezel Hesar Prison in the 1980s. The clandestine sites eliminate witnesses and prevent documentation that could lead to leaks.”

Iranian authorities have reportedly been using these unofficial detention centers primarily for interrogating protesters, holding them without registration or access to legal counsel. The CHRI warns that the risk of torture, coerced confessions, sexual abuse, and deaths in custody is extreme within these facilities.

Outside these secret prisons, families often spend days searching for their missing relatives, going from court to court and prison to prison, only to be told their loved ones are not there. This intentional obfuscation leaves families traumatized and desperate for information.

The revelations about these detention sites come amid reports of increasing executions following recent nationwide protests. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that at least 17 prisoners were executed across Iran in just a two-day period.

The crackdown on dissent has been particularly brutal. HANA Human Rights Organization documented that at least 24 children, including a three-year-old, were killed by direct fire from security forces during the protests. Thousands of others have reportedly died at the hands of the clerical regime during the unrest.

These reports emerge as Iranians living in exile have gathered in Europe to protest against the regime, with others commemorating the 40th day since the January uprising. The scale of the crackdown reflects the regime’s growing concern about the persistent anti-government sentiment that has swept across the country.

The use of these detention sites represents a return to some of the darkest practices from the early days of the Islamic Republic. During the 1980s, political prisoners, particularly those affiliated with opposition groups, were subjected to extreme torture and extrajudicial executions in similar facilities.

Human rights organizations continue to call for increased international pressure on Iran regarding these practices, but the secretive nature of these detention centers makes documentation and intervention particularly challenging. Without official acknowledgment of detainees’ whereabouts, securing their release or ensuring their humane treatment remains nearly impossible.

As the Iranian government faces both domestic unrest and international isolation, its apparent escalation of these repressive tactics signals a regime increasingly willing to employ extreme measures to maintain control, regardless of the human cost.