The Liberated Captives(LCs) in the Statements of the Leader 2

The LCs, "great divine reserves" and "national assets".

The return of Iranian prisoners in 1990 was one of the most glorious events after the imposed war. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, in three separate meetings over several days (May 29th, June 1st, and June 4th, 1990) with a group of LCs, explained their personal capabilities, performance, and messages for the society. Under this entry, the main points of his speeches directly pertaining to the LCs are categorized.

First Thematic Axis: LCs, "Great Divine Reserves" and "National Assets"

Key phrase: "Our dear LCs are  great reserves of the revolution and Islam, whom God returned to the embrace of the grateful nation."

Analysis: The Leader of the Revolution introduced the LCs not merely as individuals returned from captivity, but as spiritual and national assets whose existence is essential for the survival of the system and the revolution. This perspective elevates their status from  human elements to a divine assets.

Second Thematic Axis: Maintaining Dignity and Honor During the most Intolerable Hours and Moments of Captivity

Key phrase: "You(Dear LCs) who have returned honorably and proudly; you preserved your religion, beliefs, and devotion to the Imam, Islam, and the Revolution; you protected the nation's honor against the enemy and did not bring shame upon the nation."

Analysis: This axis identifies the most important characteristic of the LCs such as "dignity-seeking" in the most possibly difficult conditions. The emphasis that they not only preserved their faith in captivity but also did not allow the enemy to exploit them for propaganda purposes, demonstrates their deep understanding of national and Islamic responsibility.

Third Thematic Axis: LCs and "Glorious Letters" from the Heart of the Camps

Key phrase: "We have received letters from some of the LCs during these two years since the ceasefire commenced... ‘They wrote that we should not bribe the enemy for   their liberation.’ The is what our captives wrote. These are among the documents of our national honor and will be preserved forever."

Analysis: The martyred leader of the revolution, by revealing these correspondences, highlights the moral and political genius of the LCs. While in the clutches of a callous enemy, they asked the authorities not to accept humiliation in return for their freedom. This noble action demonstrates prioritizing national honor over individual liberation, which depicts the highest level of "religious zeal" and "patriotism".

Fourth Thematic axis: Spiritual achievements during captivity (exemplification of individual resistance)

Key phrase: "When our LCs returned, they brought me news from the camps that our loved ones are people accustomed to pray, piety, keep night vigil, , and commune with God; preserve these( the LCs), they are very valuable, and our victory is the direct result of their zealous efforts."

Analysis: By emphasizing praying, keeping vigil, and familiarity with the Quran in the camps, he shows how the LCs achieved spiritual sublimity from the depths of captivity. This achievement makes them a model for all segments of the society to consider God as the main support in crises.

Fifth Thematic Axis: LCs as an “ Assessment Criterion” for the nation and officials

Key phrase: "You, the liberated prisoners... have made your point by presenting a truly cogent argument to the officials and to us."

Analysis: The Supreme Leader introduces the patience and resistance of the LCs as a factor enabling their argument to be so cogent to the officials; meaning they proved that one can live with dignity without having to sacrifice  human dignity to achieve goals. This approach is a measure for evaluating the performance of officials in confronting crises.

Sixth Thematic Axis: Recommendations of the Supreme Leader to the liberated prisoners for the future

Key phrase: "You, dear ones, put your trust in God as before; maintain your connection with God; keep the achievement of the captivity period, which is familiarity with God and the Quran and patience in the face of adversities and problems, as a valuable treasure to yourselves."

Analysis: He asks the LCs to maintain the spiritual identity gained during the captivity while you live as free men. This recommendation implies that the glory of the LCs is not limited to their past, but their duty to the society is to transfer this spirit of resistance to future generations.

Final Conclusion

LCs: Symbols of "National Honor" and "Power of Faith"

From the perspective of the Supreme Leader in 1990, based on the three speeches mentioned above, the LCs possessed the following three prominent characteristics:

1. Creating honor in the most difficult conditions; by maintaining their dignity against the enemy.

2. Faith-centeredness and transforming captivity into an opportunity for spiritual transcendence; through praying and communion with God and the Quran.

3. Political awareness, reflected in the influential letters written by the LCs, urging the system to preserve national dignity.

These principles make the LCs perfect role models for Iranian society, where "physical captivity" never means "spiritual defeat," and "true victory" is summarized in preserving belief and honor against the enemy.

See also

• The LCs in the Remarks of the Supreme Leader