Louis Arnaud, former French hostage held at Iran's Evin prison: 'It's not only a prison that's been reduced to ashes, but the bastion of resistance'
So has the library, that treasure trove of knowledge patiently accumulated, book by book, over decades of resistance. The works of Plato and Aristotle, the verses of Persian poets, classical literature, swept away, buried under the rubble. Even Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), the only book in French, the one that had welcomed me like a friend when I emerged from the hell of Section 209, now lies beneath the rubble.
Among the dead are some of the worst interrogators, perpetrators of torture and humiliation. They will not be missed. And yet, should we rejoice in their loss? Do they not also leave behind mothers, children, grieving faces? No political prisoner wished for their death. We do not offer them our hatred. We leave them our pity.
Trapped in a despised system
At the very heart of the impact, the medical staff were struck down. I remember the compassionate gaze of Dr. Mossaheb, the kindness of the nurses, their quiet courage as they passed clandestine news to the families of the disappeared.
Many guards died. Often young men, some of whom confided their shame at escorting me before a criminal judge. Boys trapped in a system they despised, with no way out in a ruined economy.
And what became of Mr. Ahmadi, the exuberant admissions officer, warm and deeply humane? Is he still alive? Or has his smile, too, been buried in the dust?
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