Rape, Torture and Lies
A Tale of No Ending...
Dr. Shahram Azam, an unassuming, intense man in his late 30s, had barely started his emergency-room shift when he admitted a female patient on a stretcher from Tehran's Evin prison at 12:15 a.m. on June 27, 2003.
Zahra Kazemi was accompanied by three guards and a written diagnosis of hemorrhage as a result of digestive problems. Dr. Shahram Azam soon found that she was deeply unconscious due to a skull fracture and had wounds and bruises all over her body.
Zahra Kazemi died in 2003, days after the 54-year-old Canadian journalist was arrested while photographing a prison demonstration in Tehran, Iran.
Iranian Judicial Branch, July 2004: 'The death of the late Kazemi was an accident due to a fall in blood pressure resulting from hunger strike and her fall on the ground while standing.'
Given that Ms. Kazemi's entire body was testimony to the use of torture, Dr. Azam said, he felt he had no choice but to find a way to tell the truth. He knew he couldn't do this in Iran. "I'd meet a fate as bad as hers. I discussed it with my wife, and we both agreed that we should leave." He and his wife of 19 years, Forouzan, made the decision together, he said. The tale of their escape reads like the plot of an espionage thriller.
In a televised interview later, Kazemi’s son said Ottawa's relatively quick action on granting Dr. Azam a Canadian immigration status gives reason for optimism that further action will follow.
Dr. Shahram Azam, an unassuming, intense man in his late 30s, had barely started his emergency-room shift when he admitted a female patient on a stretcher from Tehran's Evin prison at 12:15 a.m. on June 27, 2003.
Zahra Kazemi was accompanied by three guards and a written diagnosis of hemorrhage as a result of digestive problems. Dr. Shahram Azam soon found that she was deeply unconscious due to a skull fracture and had wounds and bruises all over her body.
Zahra Kazemi died in 2003, days after the 54-year-old Canadian journalist was arrested while photographing a prison demonstration in Tehran, Iran.
Iranian Judicial Branch, July 2004: 'The death of the late Kazemi was an accident due to a fall in blood pressure resulting from hunger strike and her fall on the ground while standing.'
Given that Ms. Kazemi's entire body was testimony to the use of torture, Dr. Azam said, he felt he had no choice but to find a way to tell the truth. He knew he couldn't do this in Iran. "I'd meet a fate as bad as hers. I discussed it with my wife, and we both agreed that we should leave." He and his wife of 19 years, Forouzan, made the decision together, he said. The tale of their escape reads like the plot of an espionage thriller.In a televised interview later, Kazemi’s son said Ottawa's relatively quick action on granting Dr. Azam a Canadian immigration status gives reason for optimism that further action will follow.
posted by The City Gal @ Thursday, March 31, 2005
8 comments
8 Comments:
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Sounds silly to me!! specially their decision to leave Iran (What a brave solution, I cannot see any benefit for them, can you? ;) )
They had the guts to leave and reveal the truth. Don't you think their lives will still be in danger for many more years to come, even in Canada? Fleeing to Sweden and testifying in a court, must have been terrifying. Truely brave people.
Knowing that immigrant doctors (physicians)cannot find jobs in Canada very easily (perhaps after passing several exams in more than 2 years)I find it amazingly heroic of him to leave all his assets back home and leave with his family to save his professional and human integrity.
For those who might be interested to participate:
there is a plan to organize a fundraising event to support the Azam family in Canada and also cover part of the legal costs to persue Kazemi's case in an International court.
Ideas are appreciated.
Try to make sure that you have the right information before crying for whom you do not know!
Iran is not a jail, it could be a little bit taugh to live in, but they have enough talent that prevent them from killing this family (Specially when they are out of Iran)
I suggest you to go over there for a while. It should be useful!
No one said Iran is a jail but a lot of people have been jailed! Including all the missing students since 4 years ago! Whatever is revealed, nothing can change the fact that a journalist was killed in their custody for taking pictures. I think her memory and one of the many other journalists that are killed every year in the line of duty, should live forever.
I meant, Iran is not a jail so the fact that this Dr. left everything and came here just to reveal the truth, is suspicious. It needs more investigation to be made.
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