Shabnam Assadollahi, 16 at time of arrest
Shabnam Assadollahi was 16 years old and living with her parents when Iranian Revolutionary Guards forced their way into her home and took her to Evin Prison. For 18 months she was starved, beaten and raped. She was forced to fall asleep to the sounds of her fellow inmates being executed by gunshot. At the time of her arrest...she was only 16 years old.
At night I would count around 60 to 70 shots ringing out, which meant 60 to 70 souls had been executed. I could hear the last bullet they would give the victim – the one in the head.
I can tell you that there is only one experience worse than being tortured: having to listen to others scream and beg. Not for their lives but for their death.
The memories of my imprisonment still haunt me.
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Iranian Diaspora Collective: This testimonial is part of the ‘The Iran Prison Project’ that documents the living testimony of political prisoners. The aim is to bring the horrors of Iranian prisons to the attention of Western leaders and media, so that collective pressure can be placed on the Iranian government to release prisoners and stop executions. We also believe that one day, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be held to account for their crimes against humanity. On that day, these stories and testimonies will be essential.