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Outlook: My Time on Iran's Death Row

Hamid and Antonella

17/07/2014

My Time on Iran's Death Row

BBC World Service - Outlook, My Time on Iran's Death Row

The man who faced execution in an Iranian prison accused of helping his brother spy

Hamid Ghassemi-Shall tells Matthew Bannister about the time he spent in Iran's notorious Evin prison and about his wife's efforts to stop his imminent execution.

Antonella Mega fought for five years to save her husband: Hamid Ghassemi-Shall was arrested on a trip to Iran in 2008 and sent to Evin prison. He was accused of helping his brother to spy for a dissident group but no evidence was ever produced. With Hamid facing imminent execution, Antonella didn't rest until she helped secure his release just last year.

In Bangladesh, the rise of modern medicine is threatening traditional methods of healing snake bites, and the way of life of snake charmer Ashkor Shorporaj and his wife Olivia. They are part of a nomadic community who spend their lives roaming the country's waterways.
 
American writer Carolyn Forché describes herself as 'a poet of witness'. She uses words to bear witness to suffering she has seen at first hand in places like El Salvador, South Africa and Lebanon. 

(Photo:  Hamid Ghassemi-Shall and Antonella Mega)

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