Iran … Where Americans are Imprisoned
While Iran, the country, must be a lovely place … and Iranians are good people … the country has been ruled for decades by a theocratic regime known for its extreme use of torture and denial of human and religious rights.
In January, a journalist named Roxana Saberi – who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota; was crowned Miss North Dakota; attended Northwestern University in Chicago; and, holds dual U.S.-Iran citizenship – was arrested in Iran, accused of spying for the U.S. She had been in Iran to report for Fox News and BBC News, among other news organizations. She has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Ms. Saberi’s financee - Bahman Ghobadi – is an Iranian filmmaker who has released the following open letter to the woman he loves in an attempt to get world attention on her plight. Ghobadi seemingly knows the power of a true and emotional letter of love:
“To Roxana Saberi, Iranian with an American passport”
If I kept quiet until now, it was for her sake. If today I speak, it is for her sake.
She is my friend, my fiancée, and my companion. An intelligent and talented young woman, whom I have always admired.
It was the 31st of January. The day of my birthday. That morning, she called to say she would pick me up so we would go out together. She never came. I called on her mobile, but it was off, and for two-three days I had no idea what had happened to her. I went to her apartment, and since we had each other’s keys, I went in, but she wasn’t there. Two days later, she called and said: “Forgive me my dear, I had to go to Zahedan.” I got angry: why hadn’t she said anything to me? I told her I didn’t believe her, and again she said: “Forgive me my dear, I had to go.” And the line was cut. I waited for her to call back. But she didn’t call back. She didn’t call back.
I left for Zahedan. I looked for her in every hotel, but nobody had ever heard her name. For ten days, thousands of wild thoughts came to my mind. Until I learned, through her father, she had been arrested. I thought it was a joke.
I thought it was a misunderstanding and that she would be released after two or three days. But days went by and I had no news from her. I started to worry and knocked on every door for help, until I understood what had happened.
It is with tears in my eyes that I say she is innocent and guiltless. It is me, who has known her for years, and shared every moment with her, who declares it. She was always busy reading and doing her research. Nothing else. During all these years I’ve known her, she wouldn’t go anywhere without letting me know, nor would do anything without asking my advice. To her friends, her family, everyone that surrounded her, she had given no signs of unreasonable behavior. How come someone who would spend days without going out of her apartment, except to see me; someone who, like a Japanese lady, would carefully spend her money, and had sometimes trouble making a living; someone who was looking for a sponsor to get in contact with a local publisher so her book would be printed here (in Iran); could now be charged with a spying accusation?! We all know – no, we have all seen in movies – that spies are malicious and sneaky, that they peep around for information, and that they are very well paid. And now my heart is full of sorrow. Because it is me who incited her to stay here. And now I can’t do anything for her. Roxana wanted to leave Iran. I kept her from it.
At the beginning of our relationship, she wanted to go back to the United States. She would have liked us to go together. But I insisted for her to stay until my new film was over. She really wanted to leave Iran. And I kept her from it. And now I am devastated, for it is because of me she has been subject to these events. These past years, I have been subject to a serious depression. Why? Because my movie had been banned, and released on the black market. My next movie was not given an authorization, and I was forced to stay at home. If I’ve been able to stand it until today, it is thanks to the presence and help that she provided me with.
Since I had no authorization for my last movie, I was nervous and ill-tempered. And she was always there to calm me down.
Roxana wanted to leave Iran. I kept her from it. She is the one who took care of me while I was depressed. Then I convinced her to stay, I wanted her to write the book she had started in her head. I accompanied her, and thanks to my friends and contacts, I knocked on every door and was able to set up meetings with film makers, artists, sociologists, politics, and others. I would go with her myself. She was absorbed by her book, to the point that she could stay and bear it all, until my film would be finished, and we would leave together.
Roxana’s book was a praise to Iran. The manuscripts exist, and it will certainly be published one day, and all will see it. But why have they said nothing? All those who have talked, worked and sat with her, and who know how guiltless she is.
I am writing this letter for I am worried about her. I am worried about her health. I heard she was depressed and cried all the time. She is very sensitive. To the point she refuses to touch her food. My letter is a desperate call to all statesmen and politics, and to all those who can do something to help. From the other side of the ocean, the Americans have protested against her imprisonment, because she is an American citizen. But I say no, she is Iranian, and she loves Iran. I beg you, let her go! I beg you not to throw her in the midst of you political games! She is too weak and too pure to take part in your games. Let me be present at her trial, sit next to her wise father and gentle mother, and testify she is without guilt or reproach.
However, I am optimistic about her release, and I firmly hope the verdict will be cancelled in the next stage of the trial.
My Iranian girl with Japanese eyes and an American ID, is in jail. Shame on me! Shame on us!
Bahman Ghobadi
Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
Filed Under: Featured • Personal notes
About the Author: David is a veteran communications strategist ... writer ... blogger ... online publisher ... and Emmy Award winning former CBS Network News correspondent. He lives in the Washington, D. C., area, and works worldwide.
What shocking news… Reminds me of the photographer named Zahra Kazemi who was Canadian-Iranian and was tortured to death in Evin Prison in 2003.
(Also check the spelling of fiancée in the third paragraph)
Thanks for the article.
This is sad and I hope she gets out soon. Given Iran’s desire for better relations with the west, I expect this might resolve sooner than we expect.
But I do want to try and level some of the “Iran – where Americans are imprisoned” leanings in the introduction.
A few data points
– Iran had a perfectly functioning democracy until the US decided to overthrow it (in 1952) and put the Shah back in power so we could continue to suck out their oil at bargain prices – the Shah was hated, which made a perfect opportunity for the theocracy. Screwing with other countries’ democracies, which we have often done and continue to do, has usually had unintended consequences.
– the US imprisons more of its citizens than every other country put together. I needn’t mention Guantanamo, but I will mention 10s of thousands of Iraqis held by the US in Iraq (illegally, under international law)
– and Iran practices “extreme torture” – I don’t know how you grade torture, I think it’s binary myself, despite all the quaint euphemisms for water torture used by the US press (such as waterboarding, which they invented). But if we still are still tempted to think our variety is quaint by comparison, we should wait for the several hundred photos the courts have ordered the Pentagon release by May 28.