Torture without physical pain: Inside cell 24 of the special wing for political prisoners-Evin prison (Iran)

Abstract

I come from Iran, an immense country of more than 77 million inhabitants, the cradle of Persian civilization, and one of the richest and most ancient cultural traditions of humankind, with deep values of respect and tolerance. 38 years ago there was an Islamic revolution that turned Iran into a country that has Islam as an official religion and in which laws must conform to Sharia or Islamic law. I belong to the Christian minority, officially recognised in the Iranian constitution, but only for those born in an ethnically Christian family. People who, like me, were born into an Islamic family and converted to Christianity, are considered apostates and guilty of a serious crime under Sharia. In the last year alone about 200 people who have been accused of apostasy have been imprisoned and many have been tortured. That was the reason I was detained. We Christians are no threat to the national security of Iran. We are not going against the State. But we are treated as such. We, although citizens of Iran, are under Criminal Law, the Enemy.