After the agent posing as an American tourist was dragged into theTehranprison a sense of foreboding settled on Yehudit. She watched as guards continued to patrol along the walkway and shoppers hurried past the ominous prison wall on their way to the nearby market. The poor beggar women trickled back to their places on the benches wordlessly accepting her presence among them while continuing their chatter and matronly gossip.
No sign of the afternoon’s drama remained by evening. Sellers in the bazaar packed up their remaining merchandise and left one by one. Without warning a squad of Revolutionary Guards burst through the gates of Evin Prison and surrounded the covey of poor women on the benches. Roughly shoved and prodded across the road to the prison entrance the frightened women crowded together.
Some wailed and other shrieked but Yehudit kept her head down making her way to the center of the group to be less conspicuous. Once inside the gates the women were herded into a large barred room for interrogation and ordered to be silent. An officer of some kind addressed them randomly choosing individuals for questioning about what they had seen when the American tourist was arrested. Yehudit pretended she didn’t understand when the officer in charge pointed at her barking a question. Dissatisfied with her response the officer raised his baton to strike her.
“Don’t!”
The angry guard swiveled toward the female voice. “Who dares tell me what to do?” he raged.
