Comrade Nastaran Kaswatara was born in Sanandaj on 23/3/1344 Iranian Calendar (13/6/1965). While growing up, she gradually became acquainted with the imposed discrimination and poverty. Social injustices were always questionable for her. In High School age, she became acquainted with the principles of Marxism. By reading and searching in this direction, she realized the necessity of struggle. She turned into a conscious sympathizer of the People’s Fedayeen Guerrilla Organization (a leftist Iranian political party). After the revolution in Iran and the pressure and repression of all the parties and organizations of the left and right by the Islamic Republic, the possibility of formal and legal activity was practically impossible. Following the widespread arrests and retreats of parties outside the borders, it was the turn of the middle cadres and sympathizers whom the regime followed in schools and universities. After moving of political organizations to Kurdistan and the 24-day resistance that ended in the occupation of the city of Sanandaj, the regime intended to make systematic arrests, with utmost hardness and precision, not to miss even the name of a small sapling in the purges.The first step was to identify students who had been barred from enrolling by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in order to be transferred to the newly established High School named after the author Jalal al-Ahmad for the new academic year. This school located at the end of Tayla Cemetery, which was monitored by the regime.The regime’s reason was that controlling and monitoring of the students, who have a background of demonstrations and riots in their former schools and on the busy streets, was easier in the quiet traffic zone of the cemetery. Kaswatara’s name was included in that purge procedure and deportation to educational ghettos. Minoo Mirani, a political activist, narrated to me the days of her acquaintance with Nastaran:

“The area leading to the cemetery gave us the opportunity to hold speeches and demonstrations after the school closed. One of the plans was that some persons, including Nastaran, should puncture the patrolling car of the Revolutionary Guards to prevent them to patrol there. She was one of those who organized the student demonstrations and always stood in front line without fear of being attacked by the Revolutionary Guards. I remember that she did not run away until the last moment and she hated escaping. During one of these demonstrations a guard haunted Nastaran. She could hardly escape and lost her bag. She held white books without fear on the street and at school. I always argued with her about this and warned her. Jalal Al-Ahmad High School did not last long and was dissolved in 1361 Iranian Calender (1982). Nastaran enrolled in Asyeh High School, but appointments, meetings and demonstrations remained at the Tayla cemetery area.”

A few days passed since Nastaran’s brave escape from the Tayla protests. That day, Nastaran could get to her father by escaping (at the cost of snapping her bag and leaving it) from the guard who had surrounded her. She showed her father her latest painting. It was a picture of a father sitting on his child’s grave, drawn by her own hands. The near future, as if Nastaran felt it sooner than others.

– “This is you, father and it is my grave!” She told her father.

The painting was crumpled in her father’s hands. The father did not want to believe his daughter’s prophecy.

– “What is the matter? What are you talking about? You are still very young.”

It was never known how the Revolutionary Guards identified and arrested Nastaran and several other comrades on a school day at the new High School. Did the ID card and the organizational publication in the bag caused her to be uncovered, or was her name added to the list of suspects after a confession of a penitent and Nazarene? Maybe time will answer this question as well. It took a few days of worry and uncertainty for Nastaran Kaswatara’s family to learn of her detention.The place of detention was the previous SAVAK detention center, which had changed its name to the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization and followed the previous procedure with new torturers. Two months had passed after Nastaran was imprisoned, and the family had not yet been given a chance to visit her. There is no document about the pressure on Comrade Kaswatara was exposed to confess for two months. It’s however sure that the professionality of the regime’s interrogators in using the most primitive torture to break her silence was unavailing. One of the detainees reported Nastaran’s condition as follows: “Two uniformed officers dragged Nastaran into solitary confinement, almost unconscious and bleeding. She had bruises, wounds and trace of tortures on her face. She had severe nosebleeds. Her eyes were swollen and she could not see. I wiped her face and dripped water into her mouth. When she regained consciousness, she whispered weakly that she had been forced to confess under torture. She had been forced to say that she was hiding grenades and Molotov cocktails behind their house. She knew that this confession would be used against her. Comrades like Nastaran gave hope for a better tomorrow to their fellow inmates, in spite of all the torture and psychological damage, in contrast to repentance such as Laleh and Badieh, who tried to influence other prisoners to regret and to despair in the prison of Intelligence Service.

It was at this time that Nastaran, without prior notice, was sent to her father’s house under the siege of several guards to find out everything she had confessed. After finding some banned books under the sofa, the seal of connection and cooperation with the counter-revolution landed on Nastaran’s file. After two months of detention by IRGC Intelligence, Nastaran was transferred to a prison in the city of Diwandara, Kurdistan, waiting for the upcoming conviction. Her fellow inmates reported physical and psychological torture on Nastaran’s tender body during this period. Nastaran had a toothache. They started pulling her teeth without local anesthesia. Nastaran fainted from severe pain. It was not long before she was transferred to the barracks prison. She described the conditions of her transfer to her mother as follows during her visit:

“I was transferred here blindfolded at night. They deliberately did not tell me anything about the stairs. I fell several times. Then they sent me to the bathroom with a bloody blanket to wash my blood!”

During the few months that Nastaran was imprisoned in the barracks, she was severely pressured by Sadeghi, the then head of the IRGC’s intelligence, to reveal the names of her comrades. She was happy that her silence ensured the safety of her comrades. She hoped that others would also resist. During the days of the barracks meeting and later in the Revolutionary Court prison, two repentances were always present beside her so that it would not be possible to talk about the situation and to report on the prison conditions.

She was aware of the danger of repentant traitors during the family visits. She sent a note to her mother to reassure her family of her innocence and hope for her release:

“Be careful what you say. Floria P. and Narges A report all your conversations. I did not do anything illegal. “I didn’t take up arms, I did not kill anyone and I will be released soon.”

In the Revolutionary Court prison, the process of torture continued in a different way. Sadeghi put pressure on Kaswatara’s family by threatening to execute Nastaran. He hoped unavailingly that her family would force Nastaran to betray the names of her comrades. He hoped that the desire of freedom will overcome the resistance and silence of the prisoner. Nastaran’s response to the family proposal suggests a spirit of freedom and uncompromisingness. 

“I will never do that. I do not want dozens of other families like you to look for their children in prison with tears in their eyes.” Despite being young, she did not bargain for her life at the expense of the lives of other comrades. Her only concern was the news about the pre-execution rapes in prison. Golbakh Salimi, a prisoner at that time, recalls Nastaran as follows: “She was a cheerful and smiling girl with a warm temperament who had hidden horrors behind her laughter. I knew what she was thinking about. “The trust that developed between us Marivanis and Nastaran made her speak to us in our room about the fear before her death.”

I am not afraid of execution. But I heard that girls were raped before the execution, and their families receive Quran and sweets from prison authorities.  Another of her fellow inmates remembers: “Nastaran sang the song” Kochi Yar [1] “with a pleasant voice and a smiling face.”

For me, this song was associated with the name of Fazilat Daraei, who was executed two years before Nastaran and always sang the same song in Sanandaj prison. Finally, Nastaran was transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj by bus, along with a number of other inmates in October 1983. The capacity of the bus was less than the number of deported prisoners. It was a hint that some of those prisoners were not going to be kept in prison. It was a small encouragement to survive and a cause for a smile and hope that rippled through her last conversation with her mother: “Do not worry, I will be released  soon.” A dream that faded quickly…   Golbakh Salimi continues: “In Ghezel Hesar Prison, a number of us deportees from Sanandaj Prison were taken to Ward 3, the Repentants Ward. Nastaran and Fariba Farshchi were detained with us in ward 7 of unit 3.”  Nastaran Kaswatara was transferred to Evin Prison in Teheran on 25/11/1362 Iranian Calendar (14/2/1984) under the pretext of being released. But the real intention was to hand over her to death squads after 17 months of suffering and torture in Iranian prisons on the occasion of her 18th birthday. Three days later, the 28/11/1362 Iranian Calendar (17/2/1984) at dawn, she was executed along with several other prisoners. Alas, the interpretation of freedom for our little freedom fighter smelled of death.

The news of Nastaran’s execution reached the family while everyone was waiting for her release. The promise of release from prison was the hardest torment that the Islamic regime considered as punishment for families. On the other side of the phone line, the father was informed to go to Evin Prison to deliver the belongings of his executed daughter. The viciousness knew no bounds, when the interrogator comforted the father in a cold-blooded way: “We buried your daughter in the graveyard of ordinary people, because she was a good person!” There was a Quran signed by Montazeri (formerly designed successor to Khomeini) in Nastaran’s personal belongings with a testament in her script in the margins of its pages. In this script she generously asked for forgiveness from her family. A letter that is the last will of her will before her execution [2]. „My hardworking and kind father gave me a lot of advice. But unfortunately I did not follow his advice and I am to blame. I was not aware of the consequence. I did not realize at all that the end of the path is execution. Donate my ring to…… and my watch to my friend…….. and my clothes to the poor. I know I have broken Muzaffar’s heart a lot. I ask him to forgive me and to be patient in his life. A few nights ago, I dreamed that he had come to mourn me in black. He may know that I am dressed in black at this moment. I ask my cousins (females) to visit my grave every Thursday night and to bring me roses. Bury my body next to Nasser’s grave.” Nastaran Kaswatara (The reference to Nasser’s name in her last will was not without reason. Nasser Najm al-Dini lived next door to Nastaran’s father’s house. She considered him as the hero of her life. He was a steadfast personality from secret organization of Aqaliyat (the left wing of People’s Fedayeen Guerrilla Organization) who was exposed by a friend. He ended his life by swallowing cyanide during his arrest to escape confession and torture. Nastaran’s knowledge of the party organization and her political enlightenment was strengthened by dealing with him.)

Nastaran Kaswatara rests in peace in Behesht Zahra Cemetery forever (Teheran City) However, the bereaved parents did not cope with the beautiful farewell of their beautiful sweetheart until the day of their death. Everything that is remembered today for her courage and steadfastness reminds us of the name of a young girl whom we may not have heard of. But according to all her companions, she was the most beautiful of the living humans on the way to freedom. Cherish the memory of Nastaran Kaswatara, a small freedom fighter in the storm.

 Minoo Hamily – 20/8/1400 (2/11/2021)

[1]. a Kurdish song

[2]. The leftist worldview in Iran, like in many parts of the world, Latin America and Africa, is deeply connected to religious traditions…………………… Perhaps a glimmer of hope for freedom or consolation from the parents brought Nastaran’s hands closer together for regret. But with the approval of all the comrades, Nastaran Kaswatara did not “bargain for her life” until the end of the execution squad.

(The topics of this article are entirely the views of the author and narrators and do not represent the opinion of Nemiran Center.)