An exclusive letter from Saman Nasim, Kurdish political prisoner on death row released by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network
Torture started immediately after arriving in solitary confinement. A cell with walls smeary with special materials and its design built specifically for torturing. With just a glimpse of the materials used during my torture, those horrific experiences were repeating in my mind like film on reply. The prison cells are so small that you can lie down only horizontally with a toilet separated with an open wall. The area of the room is only 2 meters in length and 50 centimeter wide. All things were different, with a camera above my head that recorded all my movements, even in the toilet.
It was a beginning of 97 days of torture and suffering. In this period I was tortured in every way, with everything. In the first days the tortures were so severe that I was not able to walk. All my body was black and blue. For hours I was hanged with my arms and legs from the roof. During torture and interrogation I was blindfolded and wasn´t able to see my torturers. They used all the inhumane ways, in order to obtain a confession from me. They frequently said they arrested my family, they told me that they would bury me with a loader like what they did to my comrades. They told me that they will kill me here and put concrete in my grave!
During the nights when I was going to sleep they made loud noises that did not allow me to sleep. I was only 17 years old when I was arrested. During this time I had not had any contact with my family. Under pressure and torture, blindfolded and in an unconscious situation, they recorded my interrogation. I declare that this filming and interview were done under these conditions. Later when a News program from the Iranian National TV (Channel One) broadcasted my appeal, I was freed and returned home. However, this was all a lie and a scenario played for the public. I recaptured and sentenced to execution.
The trial and defenses in court were entirely superficial because my lawyers could not defend me and even the judge several times threatened me to beating. My lawyers had to resign because of pressures from the Iranian intelligence agency. Eventually, I was sentenced to death.
After receiving the death sentence from the Mahabad court, on 16 February 2013 I was transferred from the city of Mahabad to the Orumiye central prison. After 2 years my death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. The result of a re-trial is still unclear and as my sentence is final there is the possibility of my imminent execution.
Saman Nasim, Kurdish political prisoner on death row
February 2015
Orumiye Central Prison