Doleto Prison

Doleto Prison (Persian: زندان دوله تو, romanized: Zendân-e-Doleto) was a prison located in the Doleto neighbourhood of Sardasht, West Azerbaijan province, Iran.^[1] During the early stages of the Iranian Revolution, members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan committed a series of human rights violations and war crimes against detainees in the prison, including physical abuse, forced labour, executions and torture.^[2][3] Doleto Prison has been accused of committing "serious human rights abuses" against its political dissidents and critics of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.^[4] This prison was active from 1978 to 1982.

Doleto Prison

Location	Iran, West Azerbaijan, Sardasht
Coordinates	36°09′19″N 45°28′44″E
Status	The prison was destroyed by bombing.
Managed by	Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
City	Sardasht
State/province	Closed
Country	Iran

Background

Bombing and massacre of Doleto prisoners, title of an Islamic Republic newspaper on 14 May 1981

The prison was located in a mountainous area northwest of Sardasht.^[5]

Originally a stable, Doleto was turned into a prison by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. The prison was used to hold approximately 200 men in poor conditions, and torture and execution were frequent. According to survivors, prisoners were used to do things that were interpreted as forced labor.^[6][7]

In this prison, about 200 prisoners of government forces,^[8] including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Gendarmerie of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jihad of Construction, and the Kurdish Muslim Peshmerga were held.^[9]

First page of Ettela'at newspaper on the bombing and massacre of Doleto prisoners (14 May 1981)

On 7 May 1981,^[10][11] two Iraqi aircraft dropped bombs on Doleto prison.^[12] The number of victims were initially estimated as 65 dead and 60 injured.^[13] There were few guards on the day of the attack.^[14] They were informed of this attack.^[15] Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan were aware that an Iraqi attack was imminent.^[16]

Ettela'at news that two Iraqi aircraft dropped bombs on Doleto prison (14 May 1981)

First page of Keyhan newspaper on the bombing and massacre of Doleto prisoners (14 May 1981)