The Iranian dissident and writer Mehdi Mahmoudian on the outbreak of war in Iran, his experience inside the country’s prison system, and his fears for the future. He was arrested in January for signing a public letter that blamed the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for the murders of thousands of protesters, who were cut down by security forces after taking to the streets. We spoke about his first prison sentence, when he was twenty years old, about the abuses he’s witnessed and endured over the decades, and about how those experiences taught him to find empathy even for his abusers.
Author: Cora Engelbrecht
Published at: 2026-03-01 23:15:51
Still want to read the full version? Full article
