Daughter of Ali Saremi Writes Letter to Her Executed Father

The text of the letter Zeynab Saremi wrote to her martyred father:

I write this letter for the soul of my noble father so that he hears it.

My dearest father, I wish to know whether you felt our presence behind the walls of Evin! We were shivering in the cold of winter [standing outside Evin prison]. The police forces had their heaters turned on in their cars to stay warm. Father, I had come to see your beautiful face.

Father, I had come so that they would beat my mother, my sisters, and I in the heart, but [spare your life] so that you could stay and defend my country!

Father, it was barely twenty minutes [after] the morning prayer that the two ambulances arrived and entered the iron gates of Evin prison. One of the ambulances was labeled “inspection”.

The ambulances had not yet passed through the gate when the echo “Hossein…Hossein…Hossein” broke the cold silence of Evin. [The echo] joined the call for prayer [as a chorus] on that starry night illuminated by the moonlight!

My entire stature was frozen; the feeling is inexplicable. We all felt every hair on our body stand on end. After the call for prayer, the police left, but we remained.

Father, I saw how your soul flew away and how you left us behind, but we are [the one's] left behind. Just look at your footsteps! The entire world has come to walk behind you, even if their head is bowed [in shame and grief]!

Father, I love you from the bottom of my heart. I love you.

I love you!

Zeynab Saremi