For some years now, my country, Iran, has been in a difficult situation caused by economical pressures, social deficiencies and most importantly of all, a lack of freedoms.
I was a child of the Islamic revolution; my generation grew up in war and post-war situations but nothing more than social restrictions surrounding us. I always suffered from a lack of freedom of speech – even as a schoolgirl.
Self-censorship is something you feel instantly in my country. Society encourages you to live a double-life and follow accepted ideological rules. I found writing as a way to express my ideas and this led me to become a journalist.
I understood that I might be more effective by reporting what people cannot see by themselves or are not allowed to see. I wrote about social issues, especially women’s issues who, I think, have a long way to go to achieve their rights in Iran. I wrote reports and participated in research projects regarding women and children’s issues, their status in society, and the way to achieve their freedoms.
I pictured this problem, and drew a portrait of it in my work.
After the 2009 presidential election pressures on activists and journalists became tougher. Some months before I was due to start a new job at Radio Farda in the Czech Republic I was on a plane when my name was announced several times and guards came to get me off. After searching my luggage and notebook and asking questions, they took my passport and let me go home until further notice.
Two weeks later, on 6 February 2010, I was called to go to the revolutionary court to retrieve my passport. I was arrested there by officers from the intelligence service and the Ministry of National Security. My arrest warrant was signed and issued by Mr. Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, State Attorney of Tehran.
I was taken to Evin jail.
I was accused of being engaged in acts threatening national security through contact with Radio Farda, and by participating in anti government demonstrations and riots. For a month I was kept in a 2×3m jail with two other detainees and interrogated several times, sometimes twice a day for 5 hours. I was not allowed to call my family beyond two two-minute phone calls. Blind-folded during interrogation, I was insulted and threatened by interrogators and sexually assaulted.
Members of my family were threatened several times. Secret agents stopped my sister in the middle of street and told her not to give information about my case to the media otherwise my situation would get worse. The same thing happened to my parents – anonymous calls telling them not to give interviews.
I was freed in March 2010 and had to participate in several court hearings. My case was left open and my lawyer has not received any kind of official notice. Nevertheless, I was forced to write and sign an official statement which testified that I would never contact or collaborate with foreign media organizations in any shape or form.
I was banned from travelling for a further year. I finally got my passport back – but again this was conditional – I could not speak out about my case if I left the country. My husband was threatened when he collected my passport and told that we should not leave the country.
I could not work as a journalist anymore. I was emotionally hurt. I felt I was constantly being controlled so I could not live and work freely. I was mentally under pressure and had to undertake several sessions of psychotherapy and seek medical advice – this was while I was pregnant and needed to feel calm and safe. All these conditions have made me leave Iran, turning my back on my life and work.
Further Information
- Follow the FCO’s Human Rights Twitter channel @FCOHumanrights
- View our Storify covering World Press Freedom Day
- Read FCO blogs on World Press Freedom Day
- Follow Foreign Secretary William Hague on Twitter @WilliamJHague and Facebook