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White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners

White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners

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  • Create Date：2024-03-09 15:21:50
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  • Author：Narges Mohammadi
  • ISBN：0861548760
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Summary

Female prisoners of conscience and activists speak out against torture in Iranian prisons

- Winner of the nobel peace prize 2023

'A must-read for anyone concerned with human rights in Iran。 A gripping， moving and utterly shocking account。' Kylie Moore-Gilbert

Iranian prisons systematically violate human rights。 In White Torture ， fourteen women， including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe， share their experiences of harassment and beatings by guards， total blindfolding and denial of medical treatment。 Angry interrogators threaten their families and lie about their whereabouts。 One prisoner is even told she is dead。

None of the women have committed crimes – they are prisoners of conscience or held hostage as bargaining chips。 Through torture， the Iranian state hopes to remake their souls。 These interviews， carried out by Narges Mohammadi while each woman was in prison or facing charges， are astounding documents of resistance and integrity。 As Iranians still fight for Woman， Life， Freedom， White Torture indicts the regime for its crimes。

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Reviews

Reader ，

Being from Iran and growing up in this system I couldn’t help but to push through and read this book in one full day！！ زن زندگى آزادىً

Leonardo ，

Una visión terrorífica y de primera mano a la opresión que sufren las mujeres bajo el régimen iraní tan sólo por ser mujeres。 La repetición de escenarios， vejaciones， insultos y trato inhumano refleja el paso eterno en celdas de aislamiento y el sufrimiento de estas valientes defensoras de la justicia y los derechos humanos。 Pero por encima de todo， que no hay poder opresor que pueda quebrantar el espíritu ni el convencimiento de la aquellas que creen en la libertad y un futuro más justo y con m Una visión terrorífica y de primera mano a la opresión que sufren las mujeres bajo el régimen iraní tan sólo por ser mujeres。 La repetición de escenarios， vejaciones， insultos y trato inhumano refleja el paso eterno en celdas de aislamiento y el sufrimiento de estas valientes defensoras de la justicia y los derechos humanos。 Pero por encima de todo， que no hay poder opresor que pueda quebrantar el espíritu ni el convencimiento de la aquellas que creen en la libertad y un futuro más justo y con mayor igualdad。A terrifying and first-hand view of the oppression that women suffer under the Iranian regime just because they are women。 The repetition of scenarios， humiliations， insults and inhumane treatment reflects the eternal passage in cells of isolation and the suffering of these brave defenders of justice and human rights。 But above all， there is no oppressive power that can break the spirit or the conviction of those who believe in freedom and a more just and more equal future。 。。。more

Lindsey ，

This book started out as a five star read until I realized after a while that I would not be getting any new information。 The subject matter was difficult and tragic but it started having the opposite effect and making me desensitized to the information。 The same very simple and short answered questions were asked to every woman and every woman gave the same answers， seeing as they all went through the same prision， wards， interrogators etc。 I found myself desparately wanting new information and This book started out as a five star read until I realized after a while that I would not be getting any new information。 The subject matter was difficult and tragic but it started having the opposite effect and making me desensitized to the information。 The same very simple and short answered questions were asked to every woman and every woman gave the same answers， seeing as they all went through the same prision， wards， interrogators etc。 I found myself desparately wanting new information and it just wasn't happening so I was okay with it ending。 The best part is actually everything that began before chapter 1 since there are about 40 pages of introduction， preface， history （and more。。。） marked in roman numerals so be prepared for that as well， this book is actuslly closer to 300 pages due to that。 。。。more

Fayeee ，

The accounts are the most chilling and devastating personal pieces of scripture this world could possibly ever read。 In my book， I highlighted every phrase that ran chills down my spine。 I would like to share the first， a statement written by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested on charges of espionage in 2016:“My heart started to pound。 Being alone was awfully hard for me。 From that night on， they sometimes left the cell door open’ they said they knew I was innocent。 I knew they understoo The accounts are the most chilling and devastating personal pieces of scripture this world could possibly ever read。 In my book， I highlighted every phrase that ran chills down my spine。 I would like to share the first， a statement written by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested on charges of espionage in 2016:“My heart started to pound。 Being alone was awfully hard for me。 From that night on， they sometimes left the cell door open’ they said they knew I was innocent。 I knew they understood that I felt lonely。 Sometimes they brought me their own food。 Late at night， sometimes one of them would come and talk to me for hours。 I felt they pitted me， but at the end of the day I was all alone， even with these people。” What I found most heartbreaking about this quote was the blend between the undeniable traits of human empathy and power。 How an entire system centred around hatred and control cannot resist the cracks of love。 。。。more

Alice ，

The more I read， the more intense it became。 A struggle to finish but purely on an emotional level。 Very well written。

luisi ，

„In den Gefängnissen der Islamischen Republik Frau zu sein ist eine Paradoxie。 Für die Machthaber der Islamischen Republik sind Frauen zwar schwache und niedere Wesen， doch als politische Gegner sind sie trotzdem gefährlich und bedrohlich。“

l3titia ，

A very difficult book to read。 I cannot imagine the brutality and torture that these women suffered at the hands of the regime。 Wherever your politics align， nobody should condone the horrifying acts committed against women dubbed as "political dissidents" in Iran。 A very difficult book to read。 I cannot imagine the brutality and torture that these women suffered at the hands of the regime。 Wherever your politics align， nobody should condone the horrifying acts committed against women dubbed as "political dissidents" in Iran。 。。。more

FriedaElla ，

3，5 +

Vera Zon ，

Powerful， important， heartbreaking。

Karim Réga ，

Read it if you can！

Pilar Gradolph ，

La lectura de estas entrevistas resulta estremecedora。 Tanta injusticia y tanta maldad。 Tantas mujeres sufriendo y siendo castigadas por nada。。El Irán del s。 XXI no ha salido de la Edad Media。 Al libro le falta un buen trabajo de edición

Rodolfo ，

conviction The women interviewed all had a different background。 Differed in age， religious and political beliefs and yet， they all had a firm conviction in what they believed。 They endured the most brutal conditions， abuse， torture and accepted their fate。 It’s an extraordinary lesson on courage and flighting for what you believe。

Isabell ，

A dozen interviews about how women perceived the conditions of their confinement in Iranian prisons to have been。 These are women whose cause is， among others， the establishment of human and women's rights as well as the surmounting of gender inequality。 Although the references to torture， both psychological and physical in nature， are shocking， the book's impact is somewhat mitigated by the repetitiveness of its questions。 A dozen interviews about how women perceived the conditions of their confinement in Iranian prisons to have been。 These are women whose cause is， among others， the establishment of human and women's rights as well as the surmounting of gender inequality。 Although the references to torture， both psychological and physical in nature， are shocking， the book's impact is somewhat mitigated by the repetitiveness of its questions。 。。。more

Xime Allessa ，

This was so harsh to read， but just as The hate u give， so necessary。 What a frustrating situation。 There isn’t less of good people， it’s just that the good people are being murder and mistreated。

Robin ，

This was too heavy， I couldn't handle it 😬 This was too heavy， I couldn't handle it 😬 。。。more

Behrooz Parhami ，

I had read Narges Mohammadi's White Torture in its original language （Persian） before， but after she was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless support of human and women's rights in Iran， I went back to the book and embarked on a more-careful reading of its English translation。 Mohammadi is serving a three-decade jail term on "anti-regime" charges and， ironically， was in prison when the Nobel Prize news came。In this book， Mohammadi interviews 12 women prisoners about their ordeal I had read Narges Mohammadi's White Torture in its original language （Persian） before， but after she was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless support of human and women's rights in Iran， I went back to the book and embarked on a more-careful reading of its English translation。 Mohammadi is serving a three-decade jail term on "anti-regime" charges and， ironically， was in prison when the Nobel Prize news came。In this book， Mohammadi interviews 12 women prisoners about their ordeals and how solitary confinement affected their mental and physical states。 Facing the prospects of solitary confinement herself， Mohammadi writes: "I declare once more that this is a cruel and inhumane punishment … I will not rest until it is abolished。" Mohammadi asserts that Iran's Islamic regime uses solitary confinement as a form of torture to break the resistance of political prisoners and extract confessions from them that are then used to strike them with long prison terms or even death sentences。 Isolated from other prisoners and kept in the dark about their own case and whether their families even know where they are， detainees become extremely vulnerable to pressure and manipulation， often making self-incriminating false statements in the hopes of ending their torturous isolation。A tiny solitary-confinement cell and social isolation affect not just a detainee's mental well-being but also impair his/her physical health。 Many detainees emerge from solitary confinement with various physical ailments， not to mention lifelong mental scars。 Some of the women interviewed for the book were unable to return to normal life following release from prison。 In the case of women prisoners， a routine part of solitary confinement is sexual humiliation and abuse。White Torture has been turned into a documentary film by the same title。 The film has been screened as a part of several on-line symposia centered on human rights。 I watched it during one such event in January 2022 and found it well-done and effective。One of the reasons most-often cited for opposition to the Shah in the lead-up to the 1979 revolution was the fact that his secret police， SAVAK， tortured prisoners to extract confessions。 The fact that torture of all kinds， including the use of solitary confinement， is rampant in Islamic Iran's prison system is thus quite ironic。 Based on the continuation of torture under two vastly different regimes， together spanning more than 70 years， it would be rather simplistic to think that torture will disappear from Iran with the fall of the Ayatollahs。 。。。more

Monique Pereira ，

White Torture， é uma obra que transcende as páginas para mergulhar nos recantos sombrios da repressão， nos transportando para o interior das prisões solitárias do Irã， e revelando os horrores que seus prisioneiros enfrentam。 Narges Mohammadi （uma dissidente política iraniana） é a voz autora e vítima。。。 O livro começa com a narrativa pessoal de Mohammadi， sua luta pela justiça e liberdade， sua coragem em enfrentar a prisão e sua incansável batalha por um Irã mais justo。 E segue através de entrevi White Torture， é uma obra que transcende as páginas para mergulhar nos recantos sombrios da repressão， nos transportando para o interior das prisões solitárias do Irã， e revelando os horrores que seus prisioneiros enfrentam。 Narges Mohammadi （uma dissidente política iraniana） é a voz autora e vítima。。。 O livro começa com a narrativa pessoal de Mohammadi， sua luta pela justiça e liberdade， sua coragem em enfrentar a prisão e sua incansável batalha por um Irã mais justo。 E segue através de entrevistas com 12 mulheres iranianas， que revelam toda a angustia da punição cruel e torturante das solitárias。 Essas mulheres compartilham histórias pessoais de sofrimento， injustiça e resiliência， e o impacto emocional desses relatos ecoa poderosamente nas palavras do livro。Além de expor a brutalidade da repressão， o livro também serve como um espelho das agitações sociais no Irã， e nos transporta para o momento presente de profundo descontentamento， onde os cidadãos anseiam por liberdade e justiça。 E revela mais de um povo que se recusa a ser silenciado， mas que paga custo significativo por isso， à medida que vidas são perdidas e marcadas para sempre， em uma luta desesperada contra um regime opressor。Pessoalmente， embora a mensagem seja inegavelmente importante， a estrutura repetitiva pode desafiar a atenção， mas isso não diminui a força dos relatos。 Por isso， considero que "White Torture" é uma leitura fundamental。。。 uma janela para entendermos toda a turbulência que se passa no Irã através dos olhos de suas vítimas。 Um vislumbre essencial para entendermos o que significa de fato a luta pela liberdade。 Uma leitura que é um apelo à consciência， uma denúncia da repressão， e um tributo à resiliência humana diante das maiores adversidades。 #paznomundo 。。。more

Regina ，

If you look for a book on （anti-regime） iranian activism， this isn't the book for you。 It's very focused on its titular subject of white torture/isolated incarceration and while those accounts are intense， there isn't much context for the backgrounds， work or eventual activism of the women interviewed。 It's also a little repetitive as they make similar， horrifying， experiences。 Nevertheless， reading about these is important on its own and the feat of gathering and publishing these accounts out o If you look for a book on （anti-regime） iranian activism， this isn't the book for you。 It's very focused on its titular subject of white torture/isolated incarceration and while those accounts are intense， there isn't much context for the backgrounds， work or eventual activism of the women interviewed。 It's also a little repetitive as they make similar， horrifying， experiences。 Nevertheless， reading about these is important on its own and the feat of gathering and publishing these accounts out of prison is outstandingly brave and shrewd。 。。。more

Horace Derwent ，

PREFACEI am writing this preface in the final hours of my homeleave。 Very soon I will be forced to return to prison。On 16 November 2021， I was arrested for the twelfthtime and sentenced to solitary confinement for the fourthtime in my life。 I spent sixty-four days in confinement inWard 209 of Evin Prison， run by the Islamic Republic ofIran’s Ministry of Intelligence。 This time I was foundguilty because of the book you are holding in yourhands – White Torture。 They accused me of blackeningthe nam PREFACEI am writing this preface in the final hours of my homeleave。 Very soon I will be forced to return to prison。On 16 November 2021， I was arrested for the twelfthtime and sentenced to solitary confinement for the fourthtime in my life。 I spent sixty-four days in confinement inWard 209 of Evin Prison， run by the Islamic Republic ofIran’s Ministry of Intelligence。 This time I was foundguilty because of the book you are holding in yourhands – White Torture。 They accused me of blackeningthe name of Iran across the world。 Now they weredetermined to prove that my campaign to end solitaryconfinement had failed。 Once again they would subjectme to this torture and demonstrate to activists all overthe globe that the government reigns supreme。I was illegally sentenced to eight years and two monthsin prison， and seventy-four lashes by the primary court，which was subsequently commuted to six years inprison， with the same number of lashes。 As a result， Iam serving two separate sentences: a prior one ofthirty months in prison and eighty lashes， as well as thisrecent one。 When taken together with an earliersentence， I now face over thirty years in prison。But nothing will stop me from continuing my struggleagainst solitary confinement。 Having been grantedtemporary release due to my poor health following aheart attack in Qarchak Prison and cardiac surgery， Ideclare once more that this is a cruel and inhumanepunishment。 I will not rest until it is abolished。They will put me behind bars again。 But I will not stopcampaigning until human rights and justice prevail in mycountry。 Narges MohammadiMarch 2022FOREWORDWhite Torture is a collection of twelve interviews that thecompassionate activist Narges Mohammadi conductedwith women in her own agonizing situation。 Since the2009 presidential election， Narges has been repeatedlyimprisoned for her activities as the vice president andspokesperson of the Defenders of Human Rights Center。This organization campaigns for the abolition of the deathpenalty。She is now confined in Zanjan Prison， a confinementwhich is illegal even by the laws of the Islamic Republic。The reason for this imprisonment lies in her sympathyfor the conditions endured by other prisoners。 Manyprotesters had been killed in nationwide anti-governmentdemonstrations in November 2019。 Commemorating thefortieth day after their deaths and as an act of solidaritywith their families， Narges intended to conduct a sit-downstrike with other inmates。 She had courageouslyinformed the authorities and the public that this strikewould be held in the office of the women’s ward of EvinPrison in Tehran。 On the third day， claiming that herlawyer was going to meet her， the head of the prisonsummoned Narges to his office。 Gholmarza Ziaei， thehead of the prison， verbally abused Narges andthreatened her with death。 She wordlessly turned awayto head back to her cell。 Ziaei slammed Narges into thewall and brutally beat her， bruising her body andsmashing her hands through a glass door， causing themto bleed。 Despite her injuries， the authorities immediatelytransferred Narges to Zanjan Prison。 She filed acomplaint in December 2019 against the head of theprison， which was deliberately ignored。 Curiously enough，Ziaei filed a complaint against Narges for ‘libel againstthe head of the prison’ in retaliation。Contrary to the law regulating criminal procedures andbecause of this complaint， an investigator came to theprison to question and talk to Narges。 She asked himwhy they would not summon her to the Zanjancourthouse so that she could answer their questions likeeveryone else， including ordinary prisoners。 ‘You’re notallowed to leave the prison under any circumstances，’ hesaid。 ‘That’s why we’ve come here to question you。’‘I will not answer your questions here either，’ shereplied， objecting to his illegal actions。Two more cases against Narges are currently beinginvestigated in addition to the existing convictions。 Thesecurity officer in charge of Narges’ case has told hermultiple times that she would be immediately released ifshe ceased campaigning and resigned from theDefenders of Human Rights Center。 Narges rejected theoffer。 An official from the Ministry of Intelligencethreatened her， saying ‘Then rest assured that youwon’t get out of prison alive。’In Zanjan， Narges has not always been kept safe fromher fellow prisoners。 A while ago， some of theseprisoners approached Narges at the instigation of prisonguards， who’d promised them early leave and release ifthey dealt with her。 Narges hid in the bathroom all nightafter one of the prisoners threatened to kill her。Fortunately， the government’s plan failed and Narges，due to her good character and the legal aid sheprovided to the prison’s homeless women， graduallybecame friends with other prisoners and got through thiscrisis。Now Covid-19 has spread all over the world， including inIran and especially in its prisons。 One of Narges’cellmates was diagnosed with Covid-19 and was senthome。 A few days later other cellmates， includingNarges， began to display symptoms， but prison officialsdenied them the right to be tested。 As their conditionsworsened and their families put pressure on prisonauthorities， they were eventually tested。 Nevertheless， theofficials refused to inform Narges of her results。Only four cellmates， who showed no signs of thedisease， were released。 Narges and eleven other inmatesremain isolated in quarantine。 Even though Narges is atgreater risk， as she suffers from pulmonary embolismand muscular paralysis， prison officials do not allow herto see her own specialist。 They claim that the prison’shealthcare centre suffices。 Yet everyone knows Iranianprisons’ healthcare facilities are limited， particularly inZanjan。Narges has informed the authorities and the public aboutthese unjust conditions。 She even asked the healthminister to come to the prison to see the inadequatehealthcare for himself。 Instead of meeting her demands，the chief of staff of the judiciary derided her as a liarand said that the information provided by her was notverified by the chief of Zanjan Prison。No prison wall has been able to prevent the voice ofNarges Mohammadi from reaching the people。 When shefound out in Evin Prison that women prisoners， unlikemen， did not have the right to make telephone calls totheir relatives and children， she called for a specialcampaign to ‘support mothers in prison’。 This campaignattracted the attention of Iranians around the world andforced the government to retreat。 As a result， womenwere given the right to make calls。 On this basis，Narges could talk to her two children （although only fortwenty-four minutes a week） who live in exile in Pariswith their father。 Later， when the government took noteof Narges’ tenacity in protesting against injustice andsupporting others， her right to make calls was removed。It is now about a year since she last heard the voicesof her children。 As she wrote in a letter， ‘I do not knowif my children will know me when I come out in thecoming years。 Will they recognize my voice？ Will they callme mother again？’Narges has now served more than seven years of herten-year sentence and technically is eligible for parole，but she is deprived of the rights of an ordinary prisoner。They can buy meat， vegetables or fruit from the prisonstore， but she is forbidden。 So， Narges has eaten onlythe daily rations for prisoners since her move to ZanjanPrison: potatoes， eggs and bread。As you can see， despite the chains in which she hasbeen placed， Narges still roars like a lioness。 This is whythe regime wants to crush her。White Torture is another roar of this lioness。 The centralsubject of these interviews is the use of solitaryconfinement in Iranian prisons， one of the mostprominent examples of torture。 Narges Mohammadi hasalways been the flag bearer of opposition to solitaryconfinement even before she was imprisoned。 She hascontinued to resist solitary confinement while incarcerated。To express her opposition， she has conducted interviewswith a number of her inmates， namely the prisoners ofconscience incarcerated alongside her。When people recall their experiences after a few yearshave passed， parts of them are inevitably forgotten ormerged with other memories。 That is why theseimmediate records are so important。These statements were made there and then， within theprison walls， and are a testament to the efforts tosecure justice for prisoners of conscience in Iran。This is the accomplishment of Narges Mohammadi who，despite every hardship， understands this need to bearwitness and does not abandon her goals。It is excruciating to see a person imprisoned for theirhuman rights activism， and watch them being deprivedof all the legal rights that even the Islamic regime grantsto ordinary prisoners， because they won’t remain silentin the face of injustice。 Our history won’t let Narges andall these lionesses be consigned to the ether。 Shirin EbadiJuly 2020 。。。more

Jana Katharina ，

I wanted to read this one to start to understand the true meaning of those most often shortly kept news about women like Nassim Sultan Beygi， Saideh Shafii， Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi。 Reading this book is painful， repetitive， uncomfortable and hard to do so。 Reading this book felt important， leaves Iasting images and left me speechless about the strength of Iran’s women。

Ali ，

This is by no means an easy read: a series of accounts of nature and effects of solitary confinement of women in Iranian prisons。 The accounts have not been heavily edited， and while there is some repitition， there is also an engaging voice to each。While some of this is specific to the situation in Iran - for starters the women have been imprisoned for journalism， activism， or simply their religion - much is also applicable to any 'justice' system which uses isolation。 It is this isolation that This is by no means an easy read: a series of accounts of nature and effects of solitary confinement of women in Iranian prisons。 The accounts have not been heavily edited， and while there is some repitition， there is also an engaging voice to each。While some of this is specific to the situation in Iran - for starters the women have been imprisoned for journalism， activism， or simply their religion - much is also applicable to any 'justice' system which uses isolation。 It is this isolation that causes the most suffering， the white torture， of the title。 The crippling psychological and physical damage of boredom and alienation is deeply disturbing to read about， never mind experience。 。。。more

Ana-Maria Bujor ，

A powerful book of accounts about what solitary confinement does to one's mind。 Add to that the absurdity of being at the whim of an authoritarian regime and the fact that any deed， thought， connection can become an infraction in itself。 The book centers less on how the women ended up in jail， though we do get a short bio for all of them， and chooses to document de sensations， survival strategies， tragedies， and small wins brought on my life between 4 walls。 For anyone interested in human rights A powerful book of accounts about what solitary confinement does to one's mind。 Add to that the absurdity of being at the whim of an authoritarian regime and the fact that any deed， thought， connection can become an infraction in itself。 The book centers less on how the women ended up in jail， though we do get a short bio for all of them， and chooses to document de sensations， survival strategies， tragedies， and small wins brought on my life between 4 walls。 For anyone interested in human rights and the situation in Iran， it is definitely a worthy read。 。。。more

Bookworm ，

Brave women fighting the cruelty and injustice！

Victoria ，

This was the hardest book I've read in a very long time。 It's incredible to hear how these women were treated and it's hard to imagine them in the situations that their own governments put them through。 This book is very important for people to realize just how horribly people in that situation are treated and how long they endured the torture。 This was the hardest book I've read in a very long time。 It's incredible to hear how these women were treated and it's hard to imagine them in the situations that their own governments put them through。 This book is very important for people to realize just how horribly people in that situation are treated and how long they endured the torture。 。。。more

Olivia Ransom ，

Shocking stories of female prisoners， from dervishes to leftists， from Christians to members of the Bahá į community， from political reformists to journalists and Mojahedin organisation members， all of them bravely share their names， experiences and hardships suffered while in solitary confinement， some currently living in exile， other ones still imprisoned， resilience， humbleness and love。 A must read book。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,White Torture: Interviews with Iranian Women Prisoners&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0