[Considering all the horror and torture stories, it's nice to hear that she didn't suffer as much as we were fearing. The transcript is also interesting in other ways.]
The complete transcript is here:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec07/esfandiari
The following is excepted by the Informed Comment Global Affairs group blog:
http://icga.blogspot.com/2007/09/haleh-isfandiari-speaks-to-gwen-ifill.html
Haleh Esfandiari Speaks to Gwen Ifill on the NewsHour
Haleh Esfandiari, the director of the Middle East program at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, was released after
105 days in Evin Prison (known as "Evin University," because of the
large number of intellectuals who have graduated). She spoke last night
to Gwen Ifill of the NewsHour. Watch the video or read the transcript
here.
On why she was arrested:
To this day, I really don't know why I was arrested. But having
talked to these -- having been interrogated for almost eight months
by people from the ministry of intelligence, I can explain what they
believe in.
They believe that the United States is now entangled in Iraq and
elsewhere. Therefore, it will not contemplate a military attack on
Iran, but it is planning a Velvet Revolution. And the instruments
for this Velvet Revolution, like the Ukraine or Georgia, are
American and European foundations and think-tanks. And I think they
thought that the Wilson Center was also involved in this program.
On her treatment:
I was treated in prison with utmost respect. And I think the reason
was that I always kept a barrier between myself and the
interrogator. And I was always very polite to them. And they were,
as a result, very polite to me.
On contact with other prisoners:
I knew that Mr. [Kian] Tajbakhsh, who is still -- both are still in
prison -- was there, because one day the interrogator was carrying
five, six English books. And as my eyes lit up, and I said, "Oh,
English books." I said, "Who's are they?" And he said, "These belong
to Mr. Tajbakhsh." And I said, "Could you ask him whether I can
borrow some from him?"
So then, at night, one of the female guards -- because, in the
women's ward or quarter, we had female guards -- she brought me two
books, and this was the beginning of borrowing books from Mr.
Tajbakhsh. And on one occasion, I sent him some fruit with the
permission of the prison authorities.
On why she was released:
I think my release came mainly because the President of the Wilson
Center, Lee Hamilton, wrote a letter to the [Supreme] Leader
[Ayatollah Khamene'i]. And I have not seen the text of the letter
because it was confidential. And the Leader reacted to the letter
positively and probably ordered my release.
Posted by Barnett R. Rubin at 1:42 PM