Elham Modarresi: I Was Tortured to Force a Confession
Elham Modarresi, one of those detained during the nationwide protests of 1401, has reported being tortured to force a confession to “membership in Komalah.”
Elham Modarresi, a 32-year-old protester from Sanandaj detained during the nationwide protests of 1401 in Fardis, Karaj, spent some time in Kaچuyeh Prison. She was tortured for 50 days to extract a forced confession admitting her membership in the Komalah group. The torture took place while Elham suffered from a genetic liver disease, and as a result of abuse and harassment during interrogation, she experienced severe drops in blood pressure and numbness in her body.
After her release and facing numerous threats, Elham Modarresi left for Turkey with her family and currently resides there. Noting her active presence in the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, she posted a statement on the X platform, and emphasizing the slogan “My life for Iran, may Iran endure,” wrote: “I, Elham Modarresi, had an active presence in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and was arrested along with my comrades. On the 11th of Aban 1401, twelve riot police officers raided our home. They violently pushed my mother and pointed weapons at the heads of my mother and brother, blindfolded me, and took me away.
Throughout my time in prison, I was subjected to the most severe physical torture, and ultimately severe beating resulted in internal bleeding. Intelligence officers also took my ultrasound report from the hospital and tore it up. They falsely claimed my brother was being tortured in the adjacent room. They constantly threatened me with rape and tried to extract a forced confession that I possessed weapons and was a member of the Kurdistan Komalah Party, when in fact I only protested against Iran’s conditions and the injustice being inflicted on people.”
Elham Modarresi disclosed the duration of her interrogations: “I was interrogated every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., totaling 140 hours. They had designed a scenario in which I, under torture, would confess to my membership in the Komalah Party so that ultimately this forced confession would lead to a death sentence for me, despite my charge in the indictment being listed as ‘moharebeh’ (enmity against God).”
Throughout my time in prison, not only was I deprived of medical care and medication, with my general condition deteriorating day by day, but in the prison infirmary, due to severe liver pain, I was injected with ampoules that worsened my condition to the point where I could barely breathe.”
Elham Modarresi reported that she was released on a five-billion-rial bail, but after her release, she was threatened with death by unknown individuals and was constantly summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence and subjected to further interrogation. In her testimony, she stated: “The Ministry of Intelligence continued its threats and security pressures against me and my family to such an extent that I was forced to leave the homeland for which we fought to the brink of our lives. Now, while my overall health is grave due to the loss of a significant portion of my liver and I am forced to be hospitalized in Turkish hospitals two to three days a week, we live in absolute uncertainty without health insurance and with high medical costs, not knowing how much longer I can survive.”
After leaving Iran, Elham Modarresi also described the dire situation of political prisoners and protesters in the women’s ward of Kaچuyeh Prison in an interview with Voice of America.
