Witness name & surname: Withheld
Sex: Male
The place about which he is testifying: Withheld
Witness status: Injured when detained/witnessed people being shot
Type of testimony before the Tribunal: Withheld
15 November 2019, The assembly began at 10 am in the main square. About an hour later, the police (the Green uniformed men) and special forces (black uniformed men in black antiriot vehicles) arrived. Accompanying them were around 10-15 plainclothes young men armed with guns tightened round their waist. Some of the special forces were armed with tear gas and the rest had batons and electric shock devices. A plainclothes man began beating an old couple and people objected and tensions began from there. From around 5 pm to 1 am clashes were intense. Demonstrators were about 2-3 thousand and special forces were mainly using teargas. The shootings of the special forces and the plainclothes men were mainly in the air.
From around 4-5 PM, special forces were beating indiscriminately with batons. The beatings were all over body but if someone would fall down, they were beaten up on the head as well. I saw 2-3 people with broken skull. In the dark of the night, I saw series of shootings from the rooftop of the banks . They were shooting with revolvers. These were in plainclothes men. One of them was an intelligent officer in our neighbourhood. They were filming the scene as well. At around 10.30 pm, about 50-60 of them poured into the main square and began shooting into the people.
Those who were setting the banks on fire had their faces covered. The guards were standing aside and wouldn’t interfere. People who were shouting “don’t set the banks on fire” were being attacked by the guards. Around 100 black clothes men were roaming around the square in motorcycles. Those in the back carried black guns with pellets which would scatter 40-50 at a time. Their distance from where they were shooting with the people was about 50 meters. The black clothes did not have any sign or badge and did not look like army people. The front row wore leopard design uniform without any badge. They were there to detain. People were taking the injured to hospital. After 1 in the morning the special forces only used shot guns with pellets which most of my friends were injured with from the feet, tommy, chest and face. About 20 from where we were.
One of my friends got it in his body and eyes and lost his sight. I found out on the 26th about his injuries. I searched for him through all hospitals. They would ask me to wait and immediately made phone calls and then an agent with army uniform was waiting for us in a private vehicle. Finally, a doctor visited him at home where he was detained the same day. He stayed in prison for several days.
One of my friends in another district had the bullet close to his heart. They tried to keep him alive. The plainclothes men had shot him. His family was under tremendous pressure not to give interviews. I heard that many injured could not go to hospital. One of my friends who had recently been released told me that they took two injured men home. The ambulances which were on the streets were transporting the police, who were filming demonstrators. I witnessed that they detained a protester and transported him with such ambulances.
26th November, I saw the special forces, the Basij and the police were manoeuvring on the main road. They were shooting in the air, pellet guns and tear gas. As around 50 people were assembling and shouting slogans. They were disrupted immediately. The black uniformed men had no sign on their uniforms but they were wearing helmets and boots, hitting people with batons. I saw one with a broken skull.
27th November, I went out at 11 am. The police and the plainclothes men were inspecting security cameras around the banks and the neighbourhood. I returned home at 1 PM and turned my phone off.
A couple of hours later, the agents broke our door and entered our home. Twenty of them were inside and the same number outside. They were the intelligent from the revolutionary guards along with plainclothes and the muddy colour Basiji cloths One of the plainclothes with a balaclava was about to shoot me when his gun fell under my feet. They had Kalashnikov and Colt . They blindfolded me while hitting me. My face was bloodied. Our home was ransacked. They threatened me with tear gas shot into my neck.
At around 1-2 pm they took me to a house. There, they began hitting me again accusing me of being the leader, instigator, burning the bank, murderer and member of the Mojahedin. I was sent to a cell without food or water. The next day at around 3-4pm they put me in a car and drove me to the prison. The judge asked if I was a leader? I replied no. He scribbled something and ordered to take me. The rest of the Aban demonstrators were waiting to be taken to the judge.
I was delivered to another group of plainclothes men who hands and feet cuffed and blindfolded me and along with 8 others in the van who were between 16-20 years took us to the revolutionary guard intelligence section. I was there in solitary for 15 days. I could hear the screams of girls and other people. From dawn to dust when I tried to sleep the azan was heard. They started the interrogations from day two. They said I have been member of the Mojahedin Khalgh and had received money to be the leader of the unrests. They would torture me physically and psychologically, threatening my family, my finance fiancé and sister. Then they would bring pliers threatening to take my hand and toe nails off until I confess even from as far back as my childhood.
Then they changed their interrogation tactics.
Asked whom I had met on the street? Where have I got the films?
I was interrogated for 10-12 days. Every time I was seated facing the wall and blindfolded.
They threatened to bring my sister in and do (rape your sister) so and so. Deliver their corpse. Will do so and so with my father and brother. From the moment I was captured they threatened to bring my fiancé in and do so and so in front of my eyes.
Later, they took me to the prosecutor office He issued one bail and another one year suspended sentence The court lasted 30 minutes.
Then again, I was taken to the prison for two days. And again, I was delivered to the revolutionary guards and spent several days in solitary of which a couple of days spent under interrogation. I was threatened with 15 years imprisonment or even execution. My family was threatened as well. Then again, I was transferred to the prison.
In this prison about 1,000 of the November demonstrators were kept in halls of 400 each. These were between 18-20 years and even younger. One of these detainees of under 18 got 7 years sentence.
The first 2-3 months judges were brought in from the revolutionary courts carrying documents obtained from families as guarantee given by the families. About 500-600 were released. Some were kept there, including me until we were issued our sentences.
Here, I saw 5-6 men who had been shot and they took them away quickly. A few were in bad condition. A friend of mine had his hands in his pockets when they shot him and he is in prison disabled. One had been shot in the chest, the other his stomach. They were not seen or taken to hospital prison. For two days I spent with a prisoner who was dying. His whole abdomen was shattered by bullets and he was just on a stretcher, crying. He was taken away after two days like many others.
The halls and rooms were infested by cockroaches, mice and spiders, tarantulas. Water was salty, dirt everywhere, food was horrible and the few showers were not functioning. Water was cut off frequently.
The first month, the guards poured into the hall and beat up everyone with batons. The guard handcuffed me and with 3 other guards beat me with batons. After 20 days they took me to the prison clinic. When the doctor examined me, he said I am in serious condition. The next day I was taken to the hospital I stayed there for several days handcuffed with 3 guards at the door. I was only Injected with morphine and then taken back to prison with much pain.
Within a month I was taken to the court along with about 5 other guys. We were told that we have been rioters and should be executed.
I stayed in prison for months before I was issued several years sentence. Without access to a lawyer, I was taken to the revolutionary court and released after about a year of imprisonment
Since my release, they call me and threaten me. Before the elections they were asking me to publicise for the elections. They have still kept all my documents. I heard from some friends who had gone there and had been asked to cooperate with them and they are using them.
