Imprisoned Blogger Sends Message on Political Prisoners

Persian2English

Message by imprisoned blogger Mohammad Reza Pourshajari on the occasion of Political Prisoners in Iran Day, which is commemorated annually by numerous human rights activists and groups on June 20. Mr. Pourshajari’s message was submitted as an audio recording that was typed out in Persian and translated to English. Translation by Siavosh Jalili, Persian2English.

My name is Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari. I go by the pen name, Siamak Mehr, and my blog is “Iran’s Land Report”. I’m writing to you from Karaj Prison on the occasion of International Day of Political Prisoners (June 20th), which I dedicate to my fellow prisoners in Evin, Rajai Shahr and any other prison and detention centre, as well as my compatriots in a large prison called Iran.

Everyone is aware that by world standards the Islamic Republic is recognized as one of the leading human rights violators. It has been condemned year after year for these violations by international organizations, such as the former UN Commission on Human Rights and the current UN Human Rights Council. The case of political prisoners is one instance of human rights violations in the Islamic Republic.

Before delving into the conditions of political prisoners in Iran, I find it necessary to depict a real picture, however brief and limited, of the Islamic Republic. Through this image, we may find out why the topic of political offences and political prisoners in the Islamic Republic has evolved into a complex and convoluted issue such that there has not been a clear indisputable definition of these concepts by the ruling establishment or its opponents.

The ideological regime operates on a totalitarian, discriminating, and repressive system and its survival relies on attracting and dissolving society while violating and depriving [people] of social and political rights and freedoms. Despite the people’s slogans and cries about freedom, human dignity and respect, the leaders of this regime have risen against humanity and mankind and failed to recognize the freedom of choice or any other rights belonging to a person. As such, the Islamic Republic acts as a blockade on the road to individual and social progress and evolution. The extent of the limit on the rights of individuals in the Islamic Republic is such that its citizens are even deprived of listening to their favourite music, and are only allowed to listen to music that is deemed permissible by the government.

The Islamic Republic’s imposition of state and religion has triggered dark and bloody episodes on civil societies of the modern and post-industrial era. When secular aspects of a government are mixed with religious dogmatism and absurdity and boundaries collapse between the private and public realms of life, we are left with a situation where the private domain of a citizen’s conscience is constantly violated by the repressive forces of the regime. A clear example of this is the imposition of the Islamic hijab on women. Under such violently repressive circumstances, imprisonment is the least of punishments awaiting critics or dissidents who dare to take a step toward restoring his/her right or the right of their fellow compatriots.

Although Islamic Republic’s prions are filled with human rights, political and civil activists, journalists, and bloggers, rulers of the regime don’t believe that political prisoners or political offences, exist. However, as a result of the reference made to political prisoners in article 168 of the constitution—and they regret that this reference has been made—the authorities use the term security prisoners to refer to political prisoners (to avoid recognizing any constitutional rights for this group of prisoners) and the first charge leveled against these individuals is “Acting against national security”. By doing so, the regime’s authorities try to paint the activities of their opponents not as a protest against despotism of the regime but as disrupting national security.

My own fate as a blogger and a political prisoner is a clear example of the injustices inflicted upon the dissidents and critics in the Ayatollahs’ regime. In the wake of September 2010, my house was raided by Ministry of Intelligence Ministry agents and I was arrested and taken to the IRGC Section/Ward 8 of Rajai Shahr prison. On consecutive days, I was beaten and tortured. Once, they even took me to the gallows and had me climb on a stool and claimed they were going to hang me. In those days, I was under so much pressure and duress and I feared having to repent and ask for their forgiveness that I once attempted suicide by cutting the veins in my arms. I spent eight consecutive months in solitary confinement where I was constantly subject to interrogation. Throughout this time, I was threatened with death and execution by agents of the Islamic Republic, including the Revolutionary Court’s interrogators.

Finally, the repressive Islamic Judicial system sentenced me to four years in Prison for publishing my thoughts and beliefs in my blog . The charges they accused me of were “Disseminating propaganda against the regime” and “Desecration”. Since then, I have been imprisoned for three years in even worst conditions than my compatriots imagine. These nights I sleep in a cell shared with two common prisoners; one of whom suffers from psychological disorders and has murdered his own mother. The other one is a young man who has severed his sister’s head with a knife, has dismembered her body and dispersed it all over the city. Even in a zoo, they don’t put gazelle and deer in the same cage as wolf, hyena, or a boar.

Finally, I openly remind the rulers of the Islamic Republic that Iran means freedom; my freedom and the freedom of people like me. In the name of Iran, we must not tolerate the enemies of freedom.