Protest

From Azadegan Encyclopedia

From the beginning of  the war,  until the end of captivity, the Iraqi Baath regime disregarded international conventions of  prisoners of war while dealing with Iranian prisoners. International observers who visited the camps run by the Iraqi regime reported instances of harsh treatment towards Iranian prisoners, even though the Baath regime denied these claims.[1]

Despite international conventions banning torture and degrading treatment of prisoners of war, Iranian prisoners who were released shared accounts of abuse, physical and psychological torture, and humiliating behavior by Iraqi prison guards. Although the Iraqi government was aware of these regulations, a directive was issued in 1981 instructing commanders to inform their subordinates about these rules. This document outlined the rights of prisoners and also detailed the methods that could be used to extract information from captured individuals. It is noteworthy that the Iraqi government did not respect the rights of Iranian prisoners and by disregarding them, it actually violated this convention and other regulations. This guideline states that under the Geneva Convention, the enemy is only permitted to inquire about the military number of personnel—not their unit serial numbers, roles, real names, or birth dates. It also indicates that captives must understand that the enemy employs certain tactics to extract information, which involves various forms of abuse against Iranian prisoners. The enemy engages in torture, maltreatment, harassment, and threats to elicit information. Furthermore, prisoners should be aware that the enemy may initially treat some captives with care and compassion in order to elicite confidential information out of them.

Techniques Used to Interrogate Captured Individuals

The enemy interrogates each captive using a variety of methods and techniques[2]. Common practices include:

a) Confinement of the prisoner to a small, dark space without windows;

b) Blindfolding the captive and threatening to execute them before long;

c) Leaving the prisoner exposed and naked in cold conditions overnight or placing them in areas with a lot of insects;

d) Exhausting and tormenting the prisoner to prevent sleep;

e) Insulting and ridiculing the captive;

f) Providing disinformation regarding the war front line and the political atmosphere in captives` homeland;

g) Subjecting them to physical pain while withholding food and water.[3] These methods demonstrate  what Iranian prisoners in Iraq have typically undergone and have had to put up with.

In the fall of 1984, following increased international pressure regarding the issue of prisoners, the Baath regime allowed a committee from the United Nations to visit several camps and to investigate the conditions of the prisoners. Their report contained pieces of evidence indicating mental and physical violence and abuse inflicted upon Iranian prisoners. In this report, it was acknowledged that, without exception, bruises were detected on the bodies of the Iranian prisoners, and due to the blows, the sight and hearing of some of them were severely impaired.

This committee confirmed the statements of the prisoners regarding all forms of torture and included these findings in its annual report. Prior to this, on December 25, 1981, the Islamic Republic of Iran had sent a note to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, claiming that Iraq had tortured and killed civilians and prisoners of war. Additionally, throughout the years of the war, the Iranian government reported some of Iraq's violations of the Geneva Convention and instances of ill-treatment and violence against prisoners of war in letters to the UN Secretary-General. Unfortunately, the UN Security Council did not respond in any meaningful way. It did not take a definitive stance and merely urged the conflicting parties to adhere to all the principles and rules of international humanitarian law established for armed conflicts [4]. These conditions, along with the inhuman and brutal behavior of the Iraqis, forced the Iranian prisoners to react and protest individually and collectively in various situations.

Methods of protest

To confront the Iraqis, the Iranian captives showed their protest in various ways, including sit-ins, marching in groups, chanting slogans such as "God is great" hunger strikes, negative resistance, and finally rioting which would force the enemy to change their behavior. So, it was based on the consensus and coordination of decision-makers, and preparation in proportion  to the existing conditions, that the captives resorted to one or more methods of protest. Of course, patience and negative and sometimes covert resistance had priority over the other elements. The captives had learned from experience that the best way to fight against the enemy was to raise  hope for the future, promote the spirit of bravery, create positive motivations, strengthen the sense of altruism, and to keep faith in God.

Iranian prisoners in the camps used every opportunity to create an atmosphere of joy and hopefulness. In fact, they considered turning difficult conditions into opportunities as the best way to fight against the oppressive atmosphere created by the enemy. They turned normal activities such as sports, studying, everyday tasks, etc., into opportunities to strengthen the spirit of resistance against conditions that could dampen their spirits and break their morale.

Finally, if the situation  proved insufferable  or the prisoners felt or were somehow convinced that there was no other way than expressing public protest, they would resort to this forceful method. (→ Methods of protest in the camp I see).

The Importance of Protest

Captivity and imprisonment inherently subject individuals to harsh and unbearable conditions, which become even more suffocating when the jailer fails to hesitate in imposing strict measures on the captive. While accepting the conditions of captivity may lead to heightened expectations of the enemy's behavior and increased tolerance from the people, the anticipation of the enemy's malicious actions can, paradoxically, enhance the readiness for patience and endurance. However, in difficult situations, there are times when the only way to stop the enemy's oppressive behavior is raising objections.

When the enemy targets the honor and beliefs of the captives, employing all forms of physical and mental torture in an attempt to destroy their character and alter their religious identity, protesting becomes the sole option. In such circumstances, prisoners of war must recognize the importance of protest in deterring the enemy and its effectiveness in safeguarding their physical and mental health, as well as their personal integrity. Engaging in various forms of protest can serve as a powerful means of resisting humiliation and asserting their dignity against the enemy.

All Forms of Protest

By reviewing the memories of LCs and considering the conditions that prevailed in prisons, detention centers, and camps, we find several reasons for the occurrence of various types of protest, some of which can be assorted  as follows:

Protesting Resistance During Captivity

Due to strong religious and national motivations, Iranian warriors fought and resisted against the enemy until the last possible moment, surrendering to captivity only when they could no longer escape that situation. It has also been observed that some individuals were unwilling to surrender without protest, which sometimes led to their martyrdom.

Protesting against the conditions of prisons and the behavior of prison guards

Most of these protests were in the form of verbal complaints to the International Red Cross representatives who visited the camps every now and then, or rarely to the senior commanders of the camp, though they were often ignored by the Iraqi authorities.

Protesting at the health status of prisoners

In terms of health, the Iraqis did not care about the Iranian prisoners , and many of the wounded prisoners lost their lives due to ailments and flesh wounds, or their arms and legs were easily amputated  due to the injuries they had sustained : "We entered the camp... where in its infirmaries, they amputated a broken arm or  an injured leg. No one cared about the treatment of captives... When a simple wound got infected through the negligence of the Iraqis, it would deepen and grow worse .. and the Iraqi doctors putting on a sympathetic face would say this is canker and is about to kill the patient unless the decayed limb is amputated at once! [4] (→ Health and medical treatment)

Protest Against the Torture and Abuse of Prisoners

Torture was a matter of routine in POW camps, where any triviality could offer  an excuse to Iraqis  to torture Iranian prisoners . One of the instances of torture in the Iraqi camps was known as the "Obedience Law." Under this law, Iranian prisoners were required to keep their heads down in front of the Iraqis at all times; failure to comply resulted in even more severe punishments. The Iraqis would often deprive the Iranian captives of food and water for days before torturing them with batons and cables. There was one case where a captive died under torture simply for reminding the guards of  the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of prisoners[4].

Protest at the Conditions in Sanatoriums

The Iraqis housed the Iranian prisoners in the worst conditions, distributing them among sanatoriums where severe mental and physical suffering was inflicted upon them. One former prisoner, who was held at the Ramadi  camp 10 for five years, described the welfare and health conditions as follows: "We didn't even have the minimum amenities. Our living space was far too small for the number of occupants. Our sanatorium lacked a bathroom or toilet. Sometimes, due to limited free time, some individuals were unable or did not have the opportunity to go to the bathroom. The quality of the food was very poor, and the quantity was also insufficient. Many prisoners could not bathe regularly, and at times, ten prisoners had to share a single razor for shaving. Medicines and other medical facilities were scarce and too crude. On one occasion, I was summoned and punished by a guard for protesting about this situation to the Red Cross agents. Because of this, when I went to the infirmary to have a decayed tooth extracted, they mistakenly removed a healthy tooth , leaving its remnants in my gums, which caused me discomfort until the end of my captivity. In terms of education, they not only failed to provide educational support to the prisoners but also imposed the maximum possible restrictions on the minimal educational resources that the Red Cross provided to the Iranian prisoners (books, paper, and pens).[4]

Protesting at the state of nutrition and clothes plus the difficult, exhausting conditions

One day, Iraqi officials visited the camp. One of the prisoners rose and protested about the food, clothes, and shoes provided to the prisoners. After the Iraqi officials left, the prison guards came in and beat him up so badly that he was knocked out.[5]

In the last days of November 1982, the Baathist forces proposed a plan to separate the army prisoners from the Islamic Militia members, which was met with opposition and protests from the prisoners. The prisoners' refusal to comply with the separation plan caused tension between them and the Baathists. The captives continued with their protest under strict confinement for a week, and on the eighth day, despite being weak from hunger and thirst, they attempted to leave the sanatoriums, and when the guards warned them to return to their sanatoriums, they declared they wouldn`t do that unless the functionaries of the camps were set free, and then they prayed collectively in the camp-yard.

On December 8, 1982, the captives rebelled against the brutality and rapacity of the Baathists. To suppress this rebellion, the Baathists had to deploy their special forces. On this day, while the Iranian prisoners were in the Musel camp 2, enduring strict confinement and the brutal, inhumane torture of water and food deprivation as enforced by the Baathist prison guards, they could no longer contain their rage and  revolted. During the brutal suppression of this rebellion by Baathist forces, two defenseless captives, Mohammad Suri and Amir Bamirizadeh, were unjustly martyred, and more than 300 others were injured.[6]

Objection to psychological Torture

Forcing Iranian captives to watch vulgar movies and listen to music for many hours throughout the day and night was another form of torture inflicted by Iraqis[7]. If someone lowered their head while watching the film or stopped watching altogether, they were tortured and harassed by Iraqi soldiers. The prisoners' reactions to these actions were sometimes negative; in other words, they did not show any interest in watching the movies and entertained themselves with other activities, such as talking to each other or making noise, which incited the anger of the Iraqis and sometimes led to the captives being killed to end the disturbance.

In some cases, the captives initiated a subtle form of protest, often damaging the equipment. For example, they poured water into the TV or inserted a needle into the speaker wires to disrupt its operation. There were also instances of protests through shouting slogans and making noise to disturb the atmosphere. When the soldiers noticed that our captives stared at metal stools and video devices instead of watching the movies, they punished some prisoners most severely, selecting others for more specific forms of torture. When this behavior was repeated several times, the Iraqis eventually decided against showing the films.[8]

One of the methods of psychological torture employed by the prison guards to humiliate the prisoners was forcing them to prostrate themselves while standing in line during the counting process, which was extremely burdensome for them. To protest against this situation, some prisoners refused to follow the orders of the Iraqis and openly remonstrated with the prison guards.[9]

Objection to the spread of libel and disinformation

Before the reporters came to Anbar Camp and spread propaganda in favor of Saddam's regime, the prisoners were informed. On the 23rd of January 1983, as soon as the reporters were seen from outside, it was decided that if they came to the second bloc, all the prisoners would go to the sanatoriums in protest. As soon as the reporters entered, the prisoners rushed to the sanatoriums. The Iraqis, first insisting and then threatening, wanted the prisoners to come out of the sanatorium, but the protesting prisoners did not pay any attention to their requests. Inevitably, the Iraqis gathered a small number of prisoners from other parts of the camp who cooperated with them for any reason, and they started dancing and frolicking about against the will of the majority of the prisoners. In response to this action, the other prisoners protested against the journalists, and attacked soldiers and even the Iraqi deputy commander, who was inside, and destroyed the journalists' equipment and vehicles, but they did not harm anyone. This action  caused the commander to fire several warning shots with a Colt, prompting the captives to return to the sanatoriums in a hurry. The Iraqi soldiers formed a line of fire and shot into the camp as they left. During this conflict, one of the captives sustained an injury to his right eye from a bullet. After this incident, they closed the doors of the sanatoriums, took away all the food, and threatened that there would be no food for a month. The female Iranian captives too joined the male ones, and together they went on a hunger strike as a token of protest against the starvation the Iraqis had threatened to impose on them. The hunger strike persisted for a long time and at last the Iraqis were forced to plead with the protestors to break it.[10]

One day, a foreign reporter, who was wearing no Hijab, entered the camp to film. To show their protest, the prisoners chanted "God is great" and threw their slippers at the Baathist forces. Following this action, they were punished for five days, during which they were given neither food nor water. Fifty captives were transferred from the Ramadi camp to the Musel camp[11]. The Iraqis were very concerned about the way, as they believed, the Islamic Republic took advantage of Iraqi prisoners in Iran for propagandizing purposes for instance by taking them on Fridays to the collective praying site where they could freely communicate with people and other similar activities. Therefore, they were determined to answer this back however they could. To that end, they established a camp in Ramadi 2, which the captives called Bein al-Ghafsin. This camp housed captives under the age of eighteen. The Iraqi deputy commander of the camp announced that we should prepare for a parade. Then he asked, "Do you know how to march?" The captives, aware of the Iraqis` plan, all replied unanimously "We are the militia, and we don't know about these things." The deputy commander said, "We will teach you." From that day onwards, difficult conditions prevailed in the camp for more than a month.

Every morning, command drills such as present arms, fall in ,fall out and attention were rapped out. The officer commanded in Arabic to turn about, but in an attempt to disrupt the process, some of the prisoners executed different commands. In short, this process was repeated several times, and the captives` performance grew worse each time.

Eventually, the Iraqis realized that the prisoners were doing this on purpose; therefore, anyone who made a mistake was whipped. However, the lads did not yield to the punishment. After several tedious and difficult days, the Iraqi commander of the camp announced that a high-ranking officer would visit the camp the next day, and if they performed well, they would be applauded. Knowing that if the training were successful, they would be likely   to participate in a parade in Baghdad, the captives decided to give an embarrassing performance.

The next day, when the high-ranking officer arrived, the prisoners were arranged in orderly lines, and at the command of that officer, a trial parade began. The camp ground was completely cobbled. In the most possibly disorganized way , the captives performed in the most awkward and ridiculous way in front of the Iraqi officer. The captives filled the camp space with dust, like jockeys galloping in a field, causing the Iraqi officer to cover his mouth and nose and step aside. The lads stamped on the ground with ungainly movements, howling with laughter. After the Iraqi officer became completely frustrated, he ordered the children to be beaten and sent to their rooms. At this time, the captives, who were enraged by all the oppression and torture, showed their protest by chanting the slogan “God is great” and started a hunger strike from the same day. Finally, after patiently resisting and enduring painful and dangerous tortures, they managed to do in the camp as they saw fit for several months and practically dissuaded the Iraqis from taking such actions [12].  During the days when we were in the captivity of the Iraqis, from time to time, they brought people disguised as clerics to the camps hoping that maybe  the prisoners could be swayed once they had heard their homily. This time, the Iraqis brought two clergy men (given what they were wearing) with them to the sanatorium, and they started lecturing one after the other. The talks were tedious presenting nothing novel: for example, you have gone astray and deviated from the religion and all that jazz.. When their speeches ended, they said: Now if you have any questions, ask us. One of the prisoners stood up and said: I have a religious question. What is the sentence for a burglar who breaks into someone`s house? They answered: The least punishment is to cut off his fingers or hand. The prisoner said: We are also fighting to punish the intruder who broke into our house, and this is not only irreligious but also exactly in accordance with our Holy Book and traditions! It was at this time that the politically motivated Baathist officers took the hint, but it was already too late. They quickly grabbed the two Iraqi clerics and almost kicked them out of the camp[13].

Protest at the Prohibition and Restriction of Holding Religious Ceremonies and Rituals

On the first Muharram of captivity in November 1980 at the Romadi camp 1, the captives organized a mourning ceremony for Imam Hossein. As the mourning air intensified, the Iraqi prison guards noticed it and warned the prisoners that they should not continue mourning; otherwise, they would face severe consequences. In protest, the prisoners informed the guards that, according to international laws, prisoners are allowed to hold ceremonies in accordance with their religious beliefs. However, the Iraqis rejected this argument, stating that no one had the right to conduct collective activities and that such practices were not permitted. Subsequently, under the orders of the Iraqi commander of the camp, the prison guards tortured the prisoners by swearing at them and beating them up.

The holding of any religious ceremonies was strictly forbidden. During Muharram 1982 in the Anbar camp, the Iraqis warned that severe repercussions would follow if a mourning ceremony were held. When Moharram arrived, the captives mourned quietly and secretly every night, fulfilling their duty to hold a mourning ceremony. Until the night of Tasua(the 9th night of Moharram), the  sounds of mourning for Hossein could be heard resounding the barracks at an increasing pitch. That night, the Baathists brutally attacked the prisoners with cables and batons. At the same time, the female captives began to mourn. After the Iraqis savagely beat the prisoners, especially the wounded and disabled ones, in front of their inmates, the patience of the other prisoners ran out. In a sudden act of protest, they began to shake the bars and shouting the slogans particularly ‘God is great” and “Hossein help us"  In the following days, this protest was met with a strong reaction from the prison guards[14].

On the 10th night of Moharram known as Ashura, fifty Iraqi soldiers once again rushed into the sanatorium and beat up the captives  so severely that they could no longer  pray while standing. Their hatred towards the Iranian prisoners was so deep that some Baathist soldiers attacked the captives and bit their ears with their teeth just like wild dogs. In response to such brutal acts, the captives went on a strike after the ceremony, and no one left the sanatorium[15].

‘One night, we decided to pray collectively at the same time as the other sanatoriums. After the night counting process, each sanatorium appointed one person to say Azan(some sentences and phrases uttered with a cadence inviting Muslims to pray), one clergyman, and two guards to watch, and long lines of captives formed in all the sanatoriums praying collectively. Usually, there was a lot of noise in the camp at that time of  the night. The strange silence made the Iraqis want to find out what was going on, so they sent one guard upstairs and another downstairs. The guards appointed by us informed us of the arrival of the Iraqis. But without paying any attention, we continued to pray. We were almost done when the Iraqis attacked us and beat up everybody as hard as they could with cables and sticks.”[6]

Protest Against the Presence of Those Opposing the Islamic Government and Spies

In 1982, a group consisting of nine individuals, namely six men and three women opposing the Islamic Republic, arrived at the camp with the coordination of the Iraqi authorities, aiming to influence the young prisoners. Approximately fifty young and old prisoners were gathered in a hall at the headquarters of the camp commander. Each speaker addressed various issues and attempted to deepen their impact by evoking the feelings and emotions of the captives. Ultimately, some teenaged  and young prisoners protested against their presence on the grounds. The opposition representatives responded to their claims. One of the captives remarked that they had tired themselves for several hours. "If you talk for another forty hours, we will not stop supporting Imam Khomeini." Upon hearing the Imam's name, all the prisoners present in the hall protested loudly and strongly against the opposition agents and the Iraqis. The opposition agents came to the conclusion that their presence and persistence were of no avail and left the camp in despair. However, all the prisoners who had attended that meeting were severely punished late in the evening[14].

In dealing with spies, we were supposed to show as much tolerance as possible and advise them against treason. However, it was very difficult to endure some of these individuals due to their backgrounds and the betrayals they committed. One individual, who had continued his treacherous acts recklessly and audaciously for years, was sent to the Musel camp 1. When he did not come to his senses in spite of compassionate advice and serious warnings, he was severely attacked and beaten by several zealous captives who were really fed up with him. So, that the Iraqis had to transfer him to a hospital in Musel[14].

Results of Protests

In many cases, protests achieved the desired results, while in some instances, they lead to failure. From liberated captives` memories, it can be gathered that the overall outcome of the protests was favorable. In numerous cases, protests have led to change or improvement in the situation, or they have modified the behavior of the enemy. There are many instances where protests have resulted in better conditions. However, there are also cases where the enemy has succeeded in imposing their oppressive rules and methods on captives.

See also

Bibliography

  1. Zamani, Ali Asghar (2003). Investigating the situation of Iranian prisoners in Iraqi camps. Tehran: Soroush.
  2. Dai, Ali (2007). Violation of the rights of Iranian prisoners of war and the international responsibility of the Iraqi government. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.
  3. Website of the Research Institute of Holy Defense Sciences and Education. Retrieved from https://www.dsrc.ir/
  4. Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Darvishi, Farhad (2012). Iran and Iraq war: Questions and answers. Tehran: War Studies and Research Center.
  5. Amani, Mohammad Reza (2016). Shahr Ara newspaper, issue 1044.
  6. Jump up to: 6.0 6.1 Website of Payam Azadegan Cultural and Artistic Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mfpa.ir/
  7. Raskhun website.
  8. Tahanian, Mahdi (2011). Imam's Little Soldier. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.  
  9. Zaghian, Asghar (2010). The Twelfth Camp. Qom: Walamantazar Publications.  
  10. Alidosti, Homayun (1991). Homesickness of Writings. Tehran: Art Field.  
  11. Zanganeh, Hassan (2014). Our Golestan Site. Dated August 27, 2014.  
  12. Fars News Agency (2012). Hidden Soil. Dated October 22, 2012.  
  13. Dehnamaky, Massoud, et al. (1996). Humor in Captivity, under the supervision of Abbas Ali Vakili. Tehran: Cultural Vice-Chancellor of Azadegan Headquarters.  
  14. Jump up to: 14.0 14.1 14.2 Nouri, Hassan (2012). Three Thousand Days in Captivity. Tehran: Payam Azadegan.  
  15. Yahya Kamalipour, liberated captive (2016).  

To read more:

Isna News Agency. Available at https://www.isna.ir/

Shervin, Hoshang (1995). Traveler, Sky, Chain: The memories of  LC pilot. Tehran: IRGC Army.

Yousefzadeh, Ahmed (2012). Those 23 People. Tehran: Surah Mehr.

Majid Fasihi Harandi.