Ramadi camp 10

Image of Ramadi camp 10

One of the detention camps of Iranian prisoners in Iraq.

Introduction

Ramadi 10 was the 10th camp set up by the Iraqi army hence it was called Ramadi  camp 10  and also because of its location in the city of Ramadi.

Geographical and architectural characteristics

Ramadi  camp 10 consisted of four similar buildings. Each building had two floors and dimensions of about 85 x 7.5 meters. These buildings were western-eastern, and the yard of each barrack was located in its southern part. On each floor, there were four barracks and two small rooms; Therefore, each bloc had a total of eight barracks and four small rooms.

Next to each of the blocs, there was a building measuring about 14 x 14 meters, which included  bathrooms, and toilets. Also, there was a room with an area of about 15 square meters,  where the Iraqi soldiers were stationed, and two small rooms that were used as solitary confinement.

At the entrance of this building, there was a space of about 6 x 8 meters where a small shallow pool had been constructed along with six small toilets. This pool was used to wash clothes and dishes. Beyond that, there were toilets and a bathroom. The  toilets measured about 9 x 4 meters, in which there were eight Iranian lavatories. The bathroom was made of two locker rooms with dimensions of 2 x 3 meters and the bathroom itself measuring 3 x 6 meters with three showers. There was also a building in the space between the blocs, allocated to the kitchen, with dimensions of about 8 x 10 meters. (←wash and bath)

The blocs were separated by barbed wire or other forms of  barriers. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire with a height of at least 3 meters, and behind the barbed wire there were guards' rooms, kiosks and guard towers. The entrance doors of the camps were located on the southern side with usually  three garage doors included. Due to the flatness of the area and the lack of access to the urban water network, a number of sources was used to create the necessary pressure for the water to flow inside the pipes, which were installed on the toilet building; In this way, water was brought to the camp by tankers and pumped into these sources. Because the water stored in the sources was exposed to air currents, it was hot in summers and cold in winters.

History and dwellers of Ramadi camp 10

This camp was opened on June 1^st 1986 with the arrival of about 180 prisoners of Walfajr 8 operation. The transfer of new prisoners to this camp started from that date and continued until the early winter 1987, not to mention various groups of forces that were deployed in the Wal-Fajr 9 operation and the Iraqi army's mobile defense strategy captured in the areas of Ulan, Sherhani, Musian, Feke and Somar, were transferred to this camp.

This camp was divided into four blocs; the army and police forces were accommodated in blocs 1, 2 and 3 and in the 4th bloc, there were the captured forces of the IRGC, members of Islamic militia and army officers. Hospital No. 1 in the 2^nd bloc had been turned into an infirmary. Asylums were numbered separately from 1 to 8 in each bloc. About 58 captives were accommodated in each barrack. Representatives of the World Red Cross came to this camp for the first time on October 21^st 1986 and registered the prisoners living there.

Strict rules governing the camp

A maximum of two captives could walk together and at the same time they had to keep their heads down. The prisoners were not entitled to come to the barrack from 8 am to 12 noon and had to walk in the camp yard under the glare of the sun. The maximum free time during the day and night was 7 hours; They always suffered from thirst and hunger and were deprived of the basic means of life. Due to the poor sanitary conditions, the prisoners were constantly exposed to various infectious and otherwise diseases. All kinds of mental-psychological torture executed added to the problems of the prisoners of this camp every day .

Important events

1. Ghods Day: On May 23^rd 1988, on the last Friday of Ramadan known as the Ghods Day, determined people protested against the insults and existing problems; All the Iranian prisoners gathered in the camp area with their solidarity and empathy and chanted slogans against Saddam, America and Israel while making epic speeches.

2. On the night of the 9th of Muharram 1988, prisoners mourned for Imam Hossein crying and beating their chests in the 4th bloc barrack number 6. This they did in response to the disrespect of the Iraqi soldiers, chanting: "Hussein is mine and I am from Hussein." Captives of other barracks, who had heard the sounds of beating and lamentation, joined in. The commander of the camp and his soldiers entered the barracks with cables and batons and beat the prisoners.

3. Suppression of members or agents of Mojaheddin-e Kalgh organization: The agents of the organization started their activity in the 2nd bloc and managed to attract a number of innocent prisoners. This angered other prisoners who defended the regime and the revolution. To prevent their activities , they tried different ways, including advice, negotiation, threats, etc.; But in the end it was decided to punish them In the second half of 1989, by means of a pre-meditated plan, the leaders led them to the camp's toilet and bathroom and catching them unawares beat them up . Having heard the din, a large number of Iraqi soldiers attacked with cables and batons and saved the Mojahedin-e-Khalgh agents .

4. One of the prisoners named Hamid Heydari drew a picture of the flag of the Islamic Republic and Imam Khomeini and installed it in the camp. The prisoners marched in front of it on April 12^th 1989.

5. One of the prisoners named Nur Ali used oil in error instead of water to clean the kitchen floor. This mistake caused a fire and the punishment of this prisoner.

6. In the year 1988, the prisoners held a mourning ceremony for Imam Hossein. Youssef Karamat was singing a lamentation in the 4^th bloc barrack 6. Hessam, a Baathist soldier, saw this scene and began to laugh and mock. First, a group of ten prisoners got into a fight with him, and then captives of asylums 5 and 7 joined them; In the end, all the prisoners of bloc 4 got into a fight with the Iraqis. To restore the order, the Baathists sent some of them to solitary confinement.

End of the camp

Finally, this camp was shut down on  September 2^nd 1990 following the exchange and departure of prisoners.

Bibliography

Author of the article: Seyed Razi Nabavi Chaashemy