International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
May 15 2010
Silva Harotonian, Alamhooli’s Cellmate: I Learned About Life from Shirin
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran interviewed Silva
Harotonian, who shared a cell with Shirin Alamhooli for several months
at Evin Prison’s General Ward and Ward 209. She told the Campaign that
she learned about life from Shirin and is shocked by the news of her
execution. `After my father’s death, this is the worst news I have
ever had to hear.’
Referring to their shared experiences during their detention,
Harotonian said: `The judge who issued Shirin’s death sentence is the
same judge who sentenced me to three years in prison`Judge Salavati.
The Judge kept saying that [Shirin’s case] was not serious. No, it
isn’t that serious. Then they gave her the death sentence. This
sentence was from the lower court. It hadn’t even been confirmed or
appealed¦Shirin had a two-year sentence. I mean according to the law,
she had to serve her two-year prison term. Her execution should have
happened only if the Appeals Court upheld that sentence. Shirin was
arrested on 26 May 2008, one month before me.’
Remembering Shirin Alamhooli who was executed last Sunday she said:
`What I saw from Shirin during our time together and I will always
talk about it anywhere is that during my 11-month imprisonment, she
was my guardian angel. She used to give me a lot of hope. She told me
that the world is a good place and people aren’t really that bad, and
that if a mistake has happened there will be a reprieve for sure. `Be
hopeful; if your interrogator doesn’t get it, someone else will.’ She
was so hopeful. She became literate in a short time and she helped
others, too. We were together in Ward 209 for one month. Then we were
separated. I stayed and Shirin was moved to the General Ward. When I
was transferred to the General Ward, too, there she was, the same
person. She was the type of person everybody loved.’
About Shirin Alamhooli’s character, Harotonian said: `She was a very
quiet kid, an introvert. She never ever believed in injustice and kept
saying, `It’s not like that.’ She never talked about these things.
Other than this, she had suffered a lot in her life. She was born in a
deprived region in a small town, where women’s rights were violated
[all the time]. If she stepped over the border and came back, this
must have been accidental. Shirin was a victim. This much I know.’
Describing her feelings after she heard news of Shirin Alamhooli’s
death, she said: `I can’t define it precisely. I lost my father eleven
years ago. That was the most painful day of my life. After my father’s
death, this is the worst news I have ever had to
hear. Even the hard days of my imprisonment were not as bitter as
hearing news of Shirin’s death. I still can’t believe this happened.’
Harotonian said: `I used to give her a lot of hope. She was full of
energy. She was always making fun of life and kept saying that there
must be some justice somewhere and that things couldn’t stay like this
forever. I kept giving her hope. I don’t know what to tell you. I have
a lot of memories of her. I learned a lot from her. She didn’t have
any school training but she was extremely hardy. She was really
emancipated. She respected everyone just as they were. I was impressed
because I went to college and traveled a lot, but this girl from a
deprived region taught me about life. Nobody in my life taught me
about life like Shirin did. It is such a pity that such a person who
could have made the world a better place for living has stopped
breathing. I don’t know, I’m so disappointed about God’s justice.’
News Background:
Silva Harotonian, 33, is an Iranian-Armenian who worked for an
international NGO, IREX, in Iran, in the area of health care for
mothers and babies. Intelligence forces arrested Ms. Harotonian on 26
July 2008 at about 6:00 p.m., along with Arash Alaei. After searching
her home, the intelligence officers took her to Esteghlal Hotel for
interrogations. She was asked about the health care project she was
working on and pressured to admit that the project was a cover for
political activities instigated by US government. Silva’s disagreement
for making such admission led to her transfer to Ward 209 of Evin
Prison by her two interrogators who introduced themselves as `Haj
Ahgaee,’ and `Aghaye Doctor.’
lva-harotonian-alamhoolis-cellmate-i-learned-about -life-from-shirin/