Amnesty International Norway: – They Forced Me to Watch: Testimony by Norwegian Student in Iran
Posted by admin on December 17, 2010 in English, Featured, Urgent | 2 Comments
He traveled to Tehran to study the beauty. But the Norwegian student was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was in attendance witnessed the torture and murder.
Tehran, November 2009. That’s about five months since the disputed elections 12 June and the demonstrations that followed. The whole world watched how the Revolutionary Guards in Iran and their militia slaughtered peaceful demonstrators in the street.
For “Lars” is Iran so much more than violence and public executions. The Persian culture is a treasure house of literature, poetry, music, film, theater. He had been in Iran several times in the past, speaks fluent farsi and decided to travel. In November 1926 year-old enlisted as a guest student at the University of Tehran in order to collect material for his master’s degree of beauty in the performing arts, especially theater and film.
He studied side by side with Iranian students and constantly followed the guidelines from the regime. “Lars” never participated in any kind of activism and if some of the interviewees would come with the unsolicited criticism of the authorities, he edited it out.
Accused of spying
On 27 December last year a friend told him on the Ashoura religious celebrations in the north of Tehran.
- Everybody knew that there was unrest in Tehran at the time, so we did what we used and found an alternative route to avoid unrest.
On the way to where the bus was stopped by three female protesters to flee. The bus driver dropped them in, closed the door and was about to run when the whole windshield was shattered. Representatives from the Basij militia, with knives, batons and chains came on the bus. They first attacked the driver, so they went away at random passengers.
“Lars” hooked together behind the seat. He heard women screaming, and from where he had crouched down, he could see blood on the floor.
Then Basij eye on “Lars”.
- Where are you from, “shouted one.
“Lars replied he was Norwegian and was pulled out of the bus and forced up to a wall. The accusations against hail him. He was a spy, western journalist, a reporter for CNN and the BBC.
- They spoke English to me because they thought I did not understand farsi. I was so scared that I could not answer. I had already seen what they had done to other passengers.
The sound of knees that no longer exists
He had a hood over his head, was placed between two men on a motorcycle and taken to what he believes may have been a temporary outdoor base. A chaotic view, met him when they took off his cap. It was nearly a hundred people. Protesters, Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia on all sides.
New accusations rained down on him. “Lars” was held at a distance from the other prisoners.
- They went a boy up to me and shouted, “Look, look! This is what we do to our enemies. ” I saw him in the eye while gjøv attacked him with batons. I heard the sound of knees … that no longer exists.
Similar abuse took place in several places around him. A woman was given a baton run into his mouth.
A minibus full of people were burned and those who tried to escape were shot.
As a young boy among protesters shouted Allah Akbar she drove Basij militia against him with a big car. He stood against a wall and was crushed between the car and the wall.
- They did not stop. They just continued to run against the wall while the wheels spun.
When the car finally backed the boy fell on the ground. “Lars” also saw a woman who got his head run over by a car.
Unanswered questions
It is these images that haunt him now. In dreams and in the light of day. Suddenly, a look at the street in Oslo remind him of his eyes to one of the torture victims writhing in pain of torture from the Basij militia.
- There are so many unanswered questions. What drives people to do such atrocious acts? And how can I live with having seen it, but have done nothing to stop it? Although I know that I would not sitting here today if I had tried.
“Lars” do not come forward with full name and picture. He is afraid, can not stand to be recognized on the street in Oslo and afraid of their friends in Iran. His story has been one of many testimonies in the report that the launch this week, two prison protest From: Iran one year after the election.
After being forced to look at the atrocities in three long hours they let him go and he was followed home by a Basij. “Lars” was not even physically damaged.
- In a way I would like to be in Iran and continue my studies, but I was terrified. Everyone was scared, no one knew what was going to happen. And what’s the point of studying the beauty in a war zone? Everything felt chaotic after seeing people being killed and tortured.
Asked to leave Iran
“Lars” slept with his clothes on, terrified of being caught again. One afternoon in February, he was approached by a man he assumes must have been a representative of the regime and was told that he had to leave Iran. The day after he returned home to Norway.
But even if he has physically left the country, he has now four months after he came home hard to let Iran be. He tells about the man from the Basij militia were ordered to follow him home.
He bought food for me on my way home and said, “This is not the real Iran. This is not fair “Lars” emphasizes repeatedly that this is not all that Iran is about or how all Iranians are.
- Of course I know that this is not the real Iran. This is not fair.
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Topic: Norwegian student Was forced to watch the mass killing in Iran (Read 691 times)