Book Review

The Hidden Camp

Written by: Mahya Hafezi
Translated by: Kianoush Borzouei

2024-12-18

The Hidden Camp narrates the autobiographical memoirs of Mohammad Hassan Mirzaei, recounting his experiences from managing Iraqi POW camps to enduring captivity in Iranian POW camps. This work, rewritten and compiled by Meysam Gholampour, was published in the summer of 2024 by Mirath-e Ahl-e Qalam Publications in collaboration with the Damavand Martyrs Foundation. Spanning 144 pages and released in a print run of 1,000 copies, the book explores an extraordinary personal journey.

The book's cover features a beige background adorned with barbed wire, with the title strategically placed between the strands. A striking black-and-white photograph of the narrator's return from captivity amidst the barbed wire captures the reader's attention.

The narrator initially served as a soldier in Iranian-managed Iraqi POW camps before himself being captured and detained. His presence in both camps—first as a soldier and later as a prisoner—granted him a unique perspective on their stark contrasts. A native of Rudehen, a town in Damavand County, Mirzaei enlisted in the military after earning his high school diploma. His military service coincided with the final years of the Iran-Iraq war. Part of this period was spent overseeing Iraqi POWs in Iran, while the rest was on the battlefront, where he was eventually captured. He spent two years in Iraqi POW camps, including a particularly notorious section called Mulhaq in Tikrit's Camp 12. This secretive camp operated outside the oversight of the Red Cross, leaving its detainees entirely unaccounted for and officially classified as missing.

The book's table of contents consists of three sections: a preface, memoirs, and photographs. In the preface, the narrator explains that toward the end of his captivity in the early 1990s, he resolved to document his experiences from those two years, as well as earlier events. His narrative spans his upbringing in Rudehen, his conscription into military service at a camp for Iraqi POWs, his time on the frontlines, his capture by Iraqi forces, and, ultimately, his return to his homeland.

The narrator, born on the first day of summer 1967 in Rudehen, was in middle school during the Islamic Revolution. Shortly thereafter, Iraq declared war on Iran. Television broadcasts regularly showed images of the frontlines, and civilians were mobilized to defend the southern cities. After finishing high school, Mirzaei took the university entrance exam but was unsatisfied with the field of study he was accepted into. As a result, he opted for military service. In December 1986, he began training at the Dizeban Garrison in Tehran's Fatemi Street and later continued at the Heshmatieh Garrison in the city's Sablon neighborhood. This camp housed Iraqi prisoners who, according to the narrator, were provided with decent amenities. They had access to weekly showers, beds, televisions, and quality meals ranging from chicken and rice to traditional Iranian stews. Each dormitory was equipped with a samovar, and prisoners were even allotted a tobacco ration.

In the summer of 1987, during personnel rotations, Mirzaei was transferred from Tehran to Semnan and, three months later, to the frontlines. He reported to the 21st Hamzeh Division in Lavizan, traveled by train to Andimeshk, and then underwent further training in the mountainous areas of Mehran's Changuleh region. There, he earned a 25-day leave for his work laying telephone cables across the rugged terrain. After returning to the frontlines, he was promoted to squad commander in Dehloran.

It was in Dehloran, during an Iraqi offensive, that Mirzaei was captured. Before his capture, he approached a river to dispose of his weapon, ensuring it would not be found on him. He was then transported to Al-Amarah, where he endured severe torture, unsanitary conditions, and unrelenting thirst. His account underscores the stark disparity between the treatment of Iraqi POWs in Iran and Iranian POWs in Iraq.

Later, Mirzaei and other captives were relocated to Mulhaq, a concealed section of Tikrit's Camp 12. This facility consisted of a walled compound with several rooms and electrified barbed wire fences standing 20 meters high. The narrator vividly describes the inhumane treatment and constant beatings by the guards.

When news of prisoner exchanges emerged, Mirzaei and his fellow captives believed their turn for freedom had come. However, their hopes were initially dashed when they were excluded from the exchanges. Suspecting that negotiations had broken down or the war had resumed, they eventually spotted Red Cross vehicles entering the camp. The captives' shouts of "Allahu Akbar" alerted the Red Cross representatives to their presence. Despite the guards' resistance, the Red Cross personnel discovered them, paving the way for their liberation.

In the closing chapters, Mirzaei recounts the emotional moments following their recognition by the Red Cross, their transport to Baghdad, and their growing hope for freedom.

This memoir captures the deeply personal and collective experiences of individuals subjected to the harrowing realities of captivity. Unlike official or militarized narratives, it offers an unvarnished portrayal of suffering, resilience, and humanity. The book delves into the physical and psychological conditions of the camps, the methods of torture, and the prisoners' steadfast resistance, while also shedding light on the camaraderie, empathy, and solidarity that developed among the detainees.

A distinguishing feature of the memoir is the narrator's candid and straightforward language, which makes even the most painful memories accessible to readers. Alongside its harrowing accounts, the book also highlights moments of friendship and shared perseverance.

However, the book is not without its shortcomings. The lack of precise dates—such as the narrator's capture and release—is a notable omission, as is the absence of explanatory notes and a detailed index.

Ultimately, The Hidden Camp serves as a poignant reminder that the history of war is not solely written on battlefields but also in the silent struggles of POW camps, where the triumph of the human spirit over physical adversity is most vividly realized.