In January 2020 on a family visit to Iran, I was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for a week. I was released after a few days of interrogation and upon promising to act as an informant. I was not physically harmed, but the experience was traumatic. I am safe and back in Canada.
In January 2020, shortly after Trump assassinated General Qasem Soleimani, I went on a two-week family visit to Iran. The night after my arrival, the IRGC shot down the Ukranian passenger flight #PS752 as a human shield, killing all 176 passengers and crew. I was in Tehran, the city where the plane took off, and where most of the passengers lived. A few days later, on the street, I was confronted by four plainclothes agents who showed me an arrest warrant and took me into their car.
They drove me to my sister's apartment where I was staying, and ceased my phone, laptop, passport, and other belongings. They then took me blindfolded to the Evin Prison. I was checked into the IRGC Intelligence Ward 2A, a notorious section of the prison where political prisoners are held. I was interrogated for a week, all my online and offline data searched thoroughly, accused of working with anti-regime activist groups abroad, and pressured to act as an informant, because of my vast network of activist friends. I was released after promising to cooperate, posted an apartment on bail, and left Iran soon after. I was not physically harmed, but the experience was traumatic. I flew to Lisbon, Portugal, upon release, where I had a residence.
In Lisbon, I was lonely, traumatized, and paranoid. It took me a month to get access back to my online accounts, after which I flew back to the United States where I lived. I was questioned for two hours at the border but was allowed to enter. Then the pandemic lockdown hit...
Unable to get back to work, I asked my psychiatrist to prescribe me ADHD medication; not knowing that I am actually Bipolar II. The medication triggered a manic episode. While manic, in July 2020, I quit my job at Facebook Seattle, and moved to Canada where I had citizenship, and started a new life close to my sister's family in Edmonton, Alberta.
In June, the IRGC tried to contact me to activate my informant role. I declined their calls. They contacted my sister in Tehran. Eventually when they realized I will not co-operate, a letter from the judiciary showed up at my sister's residence asking me to hand myself into the prison.
In my manic state and upon seeing the letter, I wrote down the whole story on my blog, and posted it on Twitter. The story went viral, and I was contacted by the media.
Since then, I have been in therapy, on medication, and have been recovering. Five years later, I am safe, healthy, and happy. I am grateful for the support of my friends and family, and the mental health system in Canada (although slow). I am also grateful for the privilege of being a Canadian citizen, and the freedom and safety it provides.
In 2024 I wrote an update on my mental health and made a 5-minute short film about the episode.
I have written a detailed account of the incident and the aftermath in Persian here.
Here is an abridged list of international and Canadian media coverage of my story:
Email: behdad [at] behdad [dot] org