Your Problem is Different / You Hinted Not to Hit More

Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2022-10-18

One day they came me and said: “We want to take you to the prosecutor's office so that the investigator will interrogate you.” We had been famous for the meetings we organized as the Anti-Baha’i Association. At that time, there were many people in Jahrom that worked in different jobs; Among other things, there was a sergeant major in Shahrbani (law enforcement force), who stood guard duty instead of the guard officer most of the time, and he paid special attention to me and Haji Kohmal with the reception he gave with cable. When they took us out of the prison to take to the prosecutor's office, we first entered the guard officer's room. A number of officers had been also brought from Shiraz to torture the prisoners, among whom were some “Sunnis” people. They had brought them deliberately to further hit the Shias due to their differences in their beliefs. The officer inside the guard room was also a Baha'i, and the sergeant major had told him that they have an anti-Baha’i association. They tortured us soundly. That day, they had ordered to put handcuffs on our hands. We were very happy; because if they take us on foot with handcuffs, from Shahrbani to Shohada Square (former 6th Bahman Square) where the Justice was there, and people see us, it will have a high revolutionary effect. But Captain Dehghani, the person in charge of criminal investigation, said: “Shahrbani chief states not to put handcuff on them and take them while their hands are open. Close the curtains inside the car so that no one can see them from the outside.”

Earlier, on the same day of April 4, when Daneshsara (The House of Knowledge) was opened and the guys of Daneshsara found out I had been imprisoned; they went on strike, wanted to come out of Daneshsara and gather in front of Jahrom’s Shahrbani; however, they silenced students with promises and sent them to Daneshsara. Now, seeing these events in the past, the police forces considered these issues and thought if they want to take us as political prisoners with handcuffs, there may be a demonstration or a protest.

Our investigator was a person named Rahim Khanli, who worked very strangely, well and skillfully. When he interrogated each of us, he said: “I heard you were beaten in prison? If you have a complaint, complain so that we can deal with it.”

When it was Haji Kohmal's turn, he replied: “Now if we file a complaint, who wants to handle it?!”

- “I will come there myself and handle it.”

- “They don't allow you to enter Shahrbani.”

“How is it possible? I am an interrogator.”

- “no matter whoever you are; They start beating at the Shahrbani entrance.”

- “Does that mean they will beat me too?!”

“Yes! they hit. They have nothing to do with these things there; Tell God, they will hit! Say, Prophet, they will beat! Tell the king, they will hit! They just hit."

The interrogator laughed in front of Haji Kohmal and realized the situation was much worse than what he had been told.

Then it was my turn. He asked my name. I said: “Gholam Ali Mehraban Jahormi.”

- “Mr. Mehraban Jahormi, who is in the court, what is his relationship with you?”

- “He is my brother.”

- “Why didn't he tell me anything?!”

- "Now say or no, what's the difference?! Ethnicity and kinship is not important here. Whoever enters here under the name of a political prisoner, they make the same deal with him as with others. it does not matter whoever you are.”

When he said: “If you have a complaint, say it.”

“the complaint of the oppressor before the oppressor, does it have an effect?"

- “That means I am cruel!”

- “You are interrogator of the regime. You know, on the first day when the ceremony (the 40th day of martyrs of Tabriz) was going to be held, I came to the prosecutor's office and gave an ultimatum. Sir, the prosecutor’s office said “they gave us a secret order that you must obey Shahrbani!” And you are also the investigator of these prisoners. What can you do for us?”

Release from Prison

The words we said to the interrogator Rahim Khanli during the interrogation had a great impact on him. One day, early in the morning, he came into the prison unannounced and immediately ordered all the political prisoners to be lined up. We all stood in line. Ordinary prisoners had been also ordered to go inside their rooms. A number of guards who had been injured in the clashes on March 10, 1978 filed a complaint against us alleging that we had injured them during the clashes. now Khanli had also files of those guard’s complaints. Then he ordered all the guards who had been injured during the clashes to come and stand in front of us. He turned to them and said: “look at them exactly and then tell me who among these twenty-three people, on the day of the conflict, attacked you with stones and other objects, and also broke the glass of the banks?” Fearing that the revolutionary people of Jahrom would take revenge on them, the guards did not name anyone and said: “Among these people, no one injured us or broken the glass of the banks.”

During the investigation at the prosecutor's office, only one of us, Mohammad Qenaatian, told the interrogator Rahim Khanli that he had a complaint against the police officers. He had been sent to the medical jurisprudence for his complaint. Following his complaint, in a day Colonel Tasaodi, the chief of Shahrbani, came inside the prison with Captain Dehghani and told him: “What did they do with you that you complained?” He also rolled his pants to show his legs, which were injured due to torture. The police chief said: “This is not scar of cable! It was due to clashing to the bed and being wounded.” When I saw this poor guy was very ashamed in front of all the political and ordinary prisoners who had gathered around the police chief, I also, who had not yet shown the torture scars on my legs and back to my fellow prisoners, said: “There should be no shame here for Karbalayi (someone who goes on a pilgrimage to Karbala).” I rolled my pants a little up and said to the police chief: “What is this?! Is this also wounded by the bed?!” I saw the police chief, embarrassed in front of all the prisoners, said: “Your problem is difference. I'm so sorry! Of course, I told you before that you should not be tortured.” Now he officially admitted that they had beaten us; they generally denied the beating.

After that, Capt. Dehghani said: “I shouted and said why are you beating Mehraban? Who did you say to beat Mehraban?!”

I said: “Yes!” I also understood; while I was being beaten, you shouted: ‘Don't hit’; but you hinted they hit more.”

Anyway, talking in this way was very strange for them; because now that we were their prisoners and have been beaten too, we openly discussed with them. Of course, mostly in these public meetings where everyone was present, we could talk in this way; If we spoke a single word alone, we would have to pay a heavy price.

The Investigator Rahim Khanli, after visiting the prison in the presence of the police chief and Captain Dehghani, prepared a meeting report with the following content: “The prisoners confronted the plaintiffs, in the end none of the defendants were found guilty.” According to the minutes of the meeting, sometimes later, on April 11, after twelve days, twenty-two of us were released. Of course, they had sentenced two hundred thousand tomans for Maymaneh and me, which was a large amount at that time. My crime was the speech, and Maymaneh for reading the resolution. Then they informed me that one of my relatives can present a trust deed to release me. Many relatives, friends, and even strangers brought a deed; but finally, my cousin, who was working in Kuwait and I had bought a land for him and built a house, brought the deed of the same house which was not very expensive too (maybe it didn’t worth 50 thousand tomans) and he begged: “This is my cousin and worked very much for me; he also built this house for me and I want to be his guarantor and...” The interrogator accepted the same deed and released me too. But he took me on an undertaking not to leave Jahorm's jurisdiction and not to engage also in political activities.

Source: Kargar Jahormi, Vahid (Ed.) (2012) Mr. Mehraban: Memories of Gholam Ali Mehraban Jahormi. Shiraz: Aseman Hashtom Publication, pp. 141-146.