Captain Forouzan Abdi

Captain Forouzan Abdi

It was the spring of 1986 when we were being transferred back from Ghezel Hesar prison to the notorious Evin prison as a punitive measure. A new wave of crackdowns had started in the late winter of 1985, during which groups of 20-30 of our comrades had already been moved from the women’s wards of Ghezel Hesar to Evin prison for increased pressure and punishment.

After five years of enduring the pain, suffering, imprisonment, and deprivation in the prisons of the Khomeini’s regime, it felt like these transfers and relentless oppression had no end.

At that time, we were transferred to the lower ward (Ward 1) of Evin Prison. After the initial process of assigning rooms and settling our belongings, we seized the first opportunity to go to the ward’s yard to catch a glimpse of our friends who had been transferred earlier to the upper ward (second floor) and were locked in closed rooms. They, too, excitedly came to the windows, eager to greet the new arrivals. From behind the glass, some of which had been partially cleared of paint by inmates, they waved and welcomed us.

Such moments were filled with profound human emotions and solidarity, forming unforgettable memories. Despite all the walls, cells, and barbed wire, we were overjoyed to see one another. From the upper floor, behind faded windows, our dear comrades climbed over each other to wave and blow kisses. Among them were individuals like Sudabeh Mansouri, Azam (Shahrbanu) Attari, Mojgan Sorbi, and Sepideh Zargar. Suddenly, I noticed Forouzan Abdi with her usual radiant smile and unforgettable grace.

I had been with Forouzan during the difficult months of 1982 in the punitive Ward 8 of Ghezel Hesar. Those were grueling times, but being together made them memorable. In early 1983, amid the regime's fearsome crackdown, Forouzan, along with other resistant prisoners, was taken from Ward 8 to solitary confinement in Gohardasht Prison for further torture and pressure. For months, she and others, including the brave Ashraf Fadaei Tabrizi, were confined in one of the prison restrooms. I didn’t see her again for a year and a half until mid-1984, when she and others were moved from solitary confinement in Gohardasht to the public Ward 3 of Ghezel Hesar following changes in the prison’s administration.

By 1986, we found ourselves together again under harsher conditions in Evin. Shortly after our arrival, the infamous torturer Mojtaba Halvaei and his guards launched violent attacks to suppress us. They beat us relentlessly with their heavy boots, justifying their brutality by saying:

“If you were going to change, it would have happened in the past five years. We just want to remind you that this is Evin prison!”

A few days later, they moved us to the upper ward and locked rooms, where being alongside comrades like Forouzan was uplifting.

From 1986 to 1988, Forouzan was among the most steadfast and beloved political prisoners, actively participating in collective resistance and leading efforts to create joy, solidarity, and resilience within the harsh confines of prison life.

Her relentless spirit was evident in organizing group activities, from studying and exercising to volleyball games, even creating makeshift balls from scraps of fabric when none were available.

Forouzan Abdi Pirbazari, a former university student and member of Iran’s national women’s volleyball team, excelled in every aspect of prison life. She was affectionately called "Captain" by her fellow inmates, not just for her athletic skills but for her unwavering humanity and leadership.

By the fall of 1987, most female political prisoners in Tehran were concentrated in Evin’s three main Wards. We spent the last Persian New Year event (Norouz) of 1988 in high spirits, unaware it would be our final celebration. Shortly after, Forouzan and some other cellmates were moved to Ward 1.

I was temporarily released from Evin two months before the 1988 massacre. That summer, all Mojahedin women prisoners in Ward 1, 3, and many from Ward 2 were executed.

Among those heroes who had fallen for freedom, was our beloved captain Forouzan Abdi who was secretly hanged in mid-August, and she proudly and bravely became a symbol of the struggle for freedom and women’s rights.

In her final hours, Forouzan left a symbolic message on the wall of her solitary cell:
"O Lord, help me to be a shining candle on Your path, a worthy servant of Yours."

May her legacy and the sacrifices of all those who resisted inspire generations to come.

 

 Author: Mina Entezari