Sara Moghaddam

Parvaneh Ossanloo is the wife of a man who once again is confined to a solitary confinement cell in the notorious 209 ward of Evin prison in Tehran. She has emerged through the various ordeals of her husband as a mother and wife commanding respect from those who know her, while remaining an activist as well. Rooz spoke with Parvaneh, who was recently told not to expect to see her husband at least for another month, once again highlighting the fact the when a person is detained and imprisoned, the other family members too are held captive as much.

Rooz (R): We know it is very difficult, but please tell us yourself.
Parvaneh Ossanloo (PO): Yes, it is very difficult. But not as much as those first few days when we had absolutely no news of my husband. From the moment he was kidnapped till the time he called from prison were the worst moments of my life. Now, at least I know where he is. I know he is alive.

R: How did you learn that he had been kidnapped?
PO: people from the neighborhood told us. We were waiting for him to come home and have dinner and were getting concerned as time passed. There was no response from his cell phone as we called and it was then that one or two neighbors came over and told us that Ossanloo had been put into a car and taken somewhere.

R: What exactly did they say?
PO: They said that Ossanloo was on a bus, which had stopped for a traffic light. Suddenly a Peugeot 206 car swerved in front of the bus, a group of people jumped out of it boarded the bus and took Ossanloo out of it, leading him into the Peugeot. The only thing that he managed to do was to yell his name to the people around him.

R: Two weeks ago, we heard a sad rumor. Did you hear it too?
PO: Yes, and the rumor hurt this family very much. I don’t understand what is the purpose of spreading such rumors when we already have so much to worry about.

R: You are now the father and mother of this family. How do you cope?
PO: When my husband was taken away, all the problems and issues of the family fall onto my shoulders. IN addition to going to the attorney, the court, the prison, the committee overseeing the rights of citizens, etc, this time I also had to go to the police because this episode involved kidnapping. My sons are big now and I cannot single handedly meet many of their needs and wishes. The morale and mental condition of the members of the family are disoriented right now. Mr. Ossanloo too is very agitated as he is very close to his son, and he constantly sees him in his dreams. From a professional perspective, my husband has also lost his job, so I now have to hold two jobs to make ends meet. So when I get home every night, I am extremely tired without much patience or spirit. Sometimes I do not even have the energy to talk to my sons. And of course (pause) …, I miss him.

R: How did the two of you meet?
PO: We are cousins and so knew each other from childhood.

R: How was hishealth the last time you saw him? We have heard that he suffers from health problems.
OP: His illnesses are more than one. A few years ago, he had a by pass operation, and the tensions and pressures that he has been subjected to make things difficult for him. If they issued a summons, he would himself go to the court, without the need for this type of drama. Ossanloo also suffers from a skin disease with a genetic origin, but which erupts when he is under stress and pressure. Also, because of the fighting that broke out during the syndicate elections in 2005, his eye has suffered a hit which has been twice operated on. He was scheduled for another visit and operation but which he missed because of his detention. His kidneys too have a problem, in addition to problems with his spine. This is a collection of health issues (she laughs).

R: Has he been formally charged with anything?
PO: Not this time. Even his lawyer has not been informed of anything. In the previous arrests, he was charged with activities against state security, which has not been proven till now and which has not been sentenced either.

R: How do your colleagues at work treat you? Do they know of your problems?
PO: Yes. Even though my colleagues are all women, they know of Ossanloo and respect him. My husband is a know individual. He has dedicated his life to the syndicate of Vahed company workers.

R: I am interested to know how does an activist worker look at his wife. Does he pay the same attention to you that you pay to him and his condition?
PO: If he was not who he is, I would not be who I am. My husband is aware of my rights more than I am and regularly reminds me to pursue my rights. These rights are not just the rights out there in society. First of all, they are the rights that I have in the house. A man who cannot respect the rights of his family members inside the house cannot struggle for the rights of others outside home. After all these years of marriage, when I return home from work he stands up out of respect for me and takes my bag and coat. If he cannot do it, he apologizes to me. He respects the family very much and has taught us to respect it. Equality in rights start from home and extend to the community.