Sentenced to eight years for espionage, American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was held in a notorious Iranian prison for 100 days in 2009. She was freed after
an appeals court downgraded her sentence, and later wrote about her
experiences in Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran.

Did you take the dangers of reporting and working in Iran into account before you were arrested?
Working as a journalist in Iran is in general riskier than in
countries like the U.S. and Germany. I think it is important, however,
that journalists and others trying to share information with the public
continue to do their jobs in countries like Iran. Otherwise, the world
would be much less aware of what happens there, and governments could
act with much more impunity. Of course, I think journalists shouldn’t
take just any risks, but should take calculated ones.

You were locked up in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. How would you describe this place?
Many political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, whose only
crime is to peacefully stand up for basic human rights, are held
there. Executions have taken place in Evin, prisoners have died
mysteriously, and there have been accounts of physical torture. I was
not physically tortured, but I experienced something called “white
torture,” which does not leave a mark on the body but devastates the
mind and conscience. It’s a combination of isolation, manipulation,
intimidation, and efforts to rob prisoners of their dignity. 

However,
although prison was the biggest challenge of my life, I learned
timeless and universal lessons from my cellmates. For example, they
showed me how we can deal with adversity by trying to turn it into an
opportunity for growth and by staying true to one’s principles.

How do you sleep at night now that you are free?
I still look over my shoulder from time to time to see if someone is
following me. My captors told me not to speak out once I would be
freed. If I did, one said, he would personally sign my death warrant. Another said Iranian agents could find me anywhere in the world, kill
me, and make it look like I died in a car accident. I don’t know how
serious these threats are, but I do know that some Iranian authorities
have in the past been implicated in assassinations overseas.

Some other former political prisoners have said they, too, were
threatened to remain silent. Some, like me, say they have nightmares
or sleep with the lights on if they are alone at night. Nevertheless,
many of them still speak out. If not, it would be a victory for those
who try to control us by inciting fear.

Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized Libya’s Muammar Gadhafi for suppressing his people through violence.What did you think when you heard this?
Earlier he expressed support for the protests in Egypt, while at the
same time the Iranian regime suppressed demonstrations at home. It’s
contradictory to say you support freedom but you suppress it when your
own people speak out.

Could Iran be the next country with a revolution?
We saw that the events of Tunisia and Egypt reignited the
demonstrations in Iran. In some ways, the contexts of these countries
are different. For example, Iran depends less on the West’s good will,
and its allies such as China and Russia are less likely to hold it
accountable for human rights violations. Iran’s protesters stand
against the Basij militia and the Revolutionary Guard, security forces
charged with defending the Islamic Revolution and said by the regime to
number in the millions.

But many protesters in the region have shared similar demands, such as
a more transparent and accountable government that respects human
rights, a better economy, and a feeling that they have a say in the
destiny of their country.

Some Iranians calling for change want reforms through evolution. Others
want a revolution. I believe that the more force used against them,
the more we will see ‘evolutionaries’ turn into ‘revolutionaries.’ We
can’t tell what will happen in Iran, just as we couldn’t predict the
events of Egypt and Tunisia. But I believe that despite many obstacles,
the country has great potential for democracy.