Tortured Journalist Contemplated Suicide in Tehran's Infamous Evin Prison

Maziar Bahari, a Canadian-Iranian journalist and Newsweek correspondent, spent nearly four months in Tehran's notorious Evin prison after being arrested on June 21 for covering the crackdown on protesters and reformist politicians following Iran's disputed presidential elections. During his ordeal, Bahari was subjected to psychological torture, with his interrogators accusing him of being a spy and threatening him with execution every day. The experience was so desperate that Bahari, who is married and expecting a child, contemplated taking his own life by slitting his wrists twice, thinking he would use the lenses of his glasses to cut himself. However, the thought of his pregnant wife and a massive international campaign for his release gave him hope.

Key Takeaways:

• Maziar Bahari, a Canadian-Iranian journalist, was arrested on June 21 for covering the crackdown on protesters and reformist politicians following Iran's disputed presidential elections.
• Bahari was held in Tehran's infamous Evin prison for nearly four months, where he was subjected to psychological torture by his interrogators.
• Bahari's interrogators accused him of being a spy and threatened him with execution every day, leading to a desperate situation for the journalist.
• Bahari contemplated taking his own life by slitting his wrists twice, using the lenses of his glasses to cut himself, as he wondered how long it would take to bleed to death.
• Bahari credits a massive international campaign for his release from prison last month.
• Evin prison is notorious for its human rights abuses, having previously been the site of the 2003 beating death of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.
• Bahari's experience highlights the risks faced by journalists and human rights activists working in Iran.

Statistics:

• Almost four months (approximately 120 days) is the length of Maziar Bahari's stay in Evin prison.
• June 21 is the date of Bahari's arrest for covering the crackdown on protesters and reformist politicians following Iran's disputed presidential elections.
• 2003 is the year in which Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in Evin prison.

Sources:

• CNN
• Newsweek
• Iranian judiciary's official statement on Bahari's arrest (no specific date mentioned)