美国国家公共电台 NPR--An Iranian American scholar talks about her time in a notorious Tehran prison

An Iranian American scholar talks about her time in a notorious Tehran prison

Transcript¹

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Iranian academic Haleh Esfandiari about Tehran's Evin prison. She was held in solitary² confinement³ for 105 days.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Haleh Esfandiari remembers many details of her time in Iran's Evin Prison - one sound in particular.

HALEH ESFANDIARI: Every time I returned to my cell from interrogation and when they shut the iron door and locked it, I knew that this was it. I mean, if I wish to go out, I couldn't. And I think it was such a horrible noise that it would stay with me forever and ever.

MARTIN: Esfandiari is an Iranian American academic. In 2007, she was imprisoned⁴ for what Iranian officials described as anti-government activities. She was held at Evin Prison in solitary confinement for 105 days. Esfandiari has watched in awe⁵ as women in Iran remove their hijab and protest in the streets. These demonstrations⁷ started after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody⁸ after being accused of wearing her headscarf too loosely. Human rights groups estimate that around 200 people have died since the protests began last month. Thousands more have been arrested and detained at Evin Prison. Haleh Esfandiari told me what she remembers of that place.

ESFANDIARI: The tattered⁹ rug, the broken sink in the corner, and my cell happened to be, I think, over the kitchen, because it had some iron windows on the wall and the smell of food would constantly come in. Plus, the lights were on 24 hours a day, and the 105 days in solitary confinement, your companions are your interrogators and the women guards. And I was interrogated¹⁰ eight to nine hours a day.

MARTIN: Did you get a sense that women prisoners are given certain allowances? Are they treated differently or better than male prisoners?

ESFANDIARI: No, I think political prisoners are being treated equally, I mean, really because, you know, I read about women being tortured. You must remember that - I think something around 20 years ago - a Canadian Iranian journalist who was taking pictures outside Evin was arrested, and she died in Evin because they hit her so much on the head during her interrogation.

MARTIN: Do you know, Haleh, how and why the prison came to be? I mean, it is often reported in the Western press as the notorious Evin Prison, which ascribes to it a certain level of darkness - right? - that prisoners are routinely mistreated there. What is its history?

ESFANDIARI: All I know about Evin is that it's a fearsome and forbidden place. It's a place where people have been tortured, have been executed. People have disappeared. And therefore, it is known as the notorious Evin Prison, you know? I don't think it ever had a good reputation. So it's not a rehab center. It's a terrible place to be. I mean, when they told me, we are taking you to Evin, you know, I was ready for everything because I just didn't know what was expecting me there. I mean, I was not physically¹¹ tortured. I mean, I must be fair. I was not physically tortured but mentally all the time. You know, I was threatened that they will keep me as long as it is necessary - maybe years and years in Evin - until I confess. I didn't have anything to confess, you see. So, I mean, it's worse than what you hear.

MARTIN: You understand what it's like to have to spend days, weeks, months in Evin. In light of that, what goes through your mind when you see these Iranian women walking down the street, taking off their hijab, filming it, posting it on the internet, protesting this way?

ESFANDIARI: You know, I'm full of awe, honestly, and full of respect and admiration¹². And on the other hand, because I was involved also in the women's movement before I left Iran, I think the torch has passed to a generation which is much stronger and bolder than we were.

MARTIN: Does it feel like you're watching a historical shift right now because of these protests?

ESFANDIARI: Definitely. You know why? - because it's the women who are leading these protests - young women, you know? Young women who have their whole life ahead of them are willing to sacrifice themselves. I mean, this is exceptional. And the government better deal with them and listen to them because otherwise, I mean, they will have this kind of rebellion and this kind of demonstration⁶ and protest movement - if not going on for a long time, I mean, happening in a couple of months again.

MARTIN: Do I hear you saying you think this is an actual threat to the regime itself?

ESFANDIARI: I mean, it should be. It should be a threat to the regime. It is their children. It's their children, people who grew up in Iran. It's not - they can't blame it on the U.S. They can't blame it on Israel, although they do. They can't blame it on the previous generation anymore. No. This is people who lived in Iran and felt the hardship, felt the corruption¹³, were angry about the economic disadvantages they were having. Plus, the women didn't want to be anymore considered as second-class citizens and humiliated¹⁴ all the time - constantly somebody telling you, cover your hair. Why is your robe tight? Why do you have a bit of makeup¹⁵? I mean, how much humiliation¹⁶ - I mean, you know? They really have it up to here today. This is the way they feel, and the government is not doing anything for them.

MARTIN: Haleh Esfandiari is a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center and the founding director of its Middle East program. She spent 105 days in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison. Thank you so much for talking with us.

ESFANDIARI: Thank you for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

3 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

4 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

5 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

6 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

7 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

10 interrogated   

v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
• Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

12 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

13 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

14 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

15 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

16 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。