The Shiva I know: A letter about Shiva Nazar Ahari
By Sepideh Pooraghaiee |
Translation Tour Irani for Persian2English

I’ve read many heartfelt letters published online written by families, friends, and supporters of political and civil rights activists. I thought, perhaps I should write a letter as well for my dear friend Shiva Nazar Ahari. Since her arrest, Shiva has spent more than 200 days in ward 209 of Evin prison. She was recently transferred to the general ward. Since I consider Shiva’s writings to be very direct and beautiful (just like her name which means “expressive” in Persian), I will attempt to use Shiva’s words and my own memories to help reduce the contradictions and delirium that exists within the Iranian regime’s security apparatus in their accusations against Shiva and the Committee of Human Rights Reporters.

Instead of listening to the propaganda machines and the military organizations who are busy manufacturing scenarios, please consider my words when you pass judgment on the Committee of Human Rights Reporters and Shiva Nazar Ahari.

The genius producers of state television, who instead of informing people in an objective manner, spend all their efforts in creating noise, psychological warfare, and accusations against critics and cultural, civil, and political opponents. The producers should regard my writing as a witness documentation.

First, I would like to use Shiva’s words to express the main reason for the accusations and vengeance against her by violators of human rights. She wrote to one of her cell mates: “When your heart trembles for the rights of another human, that is when you begin to slip; that is when the interrogations begin. When your heart trembles for another prisoner, a woman, a child laborer, that is when you become the accused. When you find faith in people and believe in humanity and nothing else, that is when you commit your first crime.”

Shiva is held captive. Even though she was released in June 2009 after a large bail amount was posted, she was re-arrested for defending torture victim Atefeh Nabavi by creating a campaign for her freedom. I know very well that (while confined in Evin prison) Shiva’s heart still beats for people like Atefeh Nabavi and she bursts into tears for them. It has always been clear to me why she does that.

She burst into tears for student prisoner Akbar Mohammadi and political activist Heshmat Saran who both died in prison. She burst into tears for Delara Darabi who died because of the Qesas law (eye-for-an-eye execution punishment). She burst into tears for two Kurdish prisoners who were quietly executed a few years ago. She also burst into tears many other times for other victims.

I know Shiva for a long time. The first time I saw her was many years ago in the memorial services for Parvaneh Eskandari and Dariush Forouhar, two chain murder victims of autumn 1999. We were in Ershad Mosque. A much younger Shiva was filled with energy. It was the beginning of a long friendship with Shiva; a brave, humorous, and light-hearted person who displays resistance and dedication.

Shiva was first arrested in 2004 in front of the United Nations office. I am not sure but maybe it was this experience that increased her drive to continue on the path that she has chosen. At that time I never thought that she would one day become one of the most distinguished human rights activists. I thought that just like many others who were her age, after a while she would go on with her daily life so that she might stay clear from harassment by the judicial and security system.

But Shiva kept standing. Later Shiva and I along with a few other friends became active in The Students Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners. Most of the efforts of this committee were geared toward the publication and distribution of information about the difficult conditions of political prisoners.

In 2005, when the Committee of Human Rights Reporters was founded, we took on new and bigger steps in various areas including defending women’s rights, children’s rights, and the rights of minorities and other vulnerable citizens whose human rights are trampled on either by society or by the ruling political establishment. And the legal umbrella of the Islamic Republic judicial system not only supports the violations, but also further violates the rights of citizens.

In the short interim since the foundation of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, I have found Shiva to be the most stern, reliable, and active member. It is a wonder how a person who lives in a dictatorial society under the harshest pressures is able to play a defining role in defending human rights solely based on her strong will and determination and the manner that she upholds professionalism and a practical moral framework (not just slogans).

Shiva protests against violations of human rights without concentrating on the ethnic, religious, gender, political, and even reputation backgrounds of individuals; be it Akbar Ganji to the late Valiallah Feiz Mahdavi (a political prisoner related to the Mujahedin Khalgh Organization).

She was repeatedly summoned and contacted by security organizations. They would threaten her and use foul language solely because Shiva protested and published human rights violations against political prisoners who the regime considers as opposition. The accusation of “association with the Mujahedin Khalgh Organization” was made up by the security system to take revenge against Shiva’s civil disobedience of their illegal request to stop reporting on the terrible conditions of prisoners. But through her strong determination to save human dignity, Shiva never gave in. Her reasoning was just and proper. For a human rights activist every human on Earth is equal in human rights even if they have committed crimes against humanity.

I remember well that when few people were paying attention to the conditions of those who were arrested in 2007 under the cover of “hoodlums” (in Kahrizak prison), the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, and especially Shiva, contacted the families of the arrested and reported on the horrible prison to the public.

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