Doctors treating the second secretary of Iran's embassy in Baghdad Jalal Sharafi say the psychological and physical damage the Iranian diplomat endured are "overwhelming."
Reports have emerged that former Iraqi intelligent operatives had been involved in Sharafi's torture under the aegis of CIA.
The doctors told journalists in a press conference on Wednesday that it may take years for Sharafi to recover from the ordeal he went through while in US custody in Baghdad.
Doctor Ali-Reza Hosseini, a dermatologist and Doctor Ali Sharifi a trained psychiatrist, explained the medical procedures the Iranian official has undergone in light of the injuries he sustained while imprisoned by US forces.
Doctor Hosseini maintained that Sharafi has undergone continuous medical examinations considering the serious condition he was in after returning to Iran upon his released on April 3, 2007.
According to Hosseini, a thorough medical examination shows scars and deep wounds on Sharafi's head, nose, ear, and dark bruises on his back which are clear indicators that he was severely beaten in those areas.
According to Sharafi's personal physician, the sudden weight loss the Iranian diplomat experienced is a sign that his body was under constant and severe pressure.
Doctor Hosseini revealed that Sharafi suffered from intestinal bleeding as a result of the severe blows he suffered on his sides and stomach.
Meanwhile, Sharafi's psychiatrist stated that his patient is a true victim of "intense psychological torture."
According to Doctor Ali Sharifi, unlike a normal prisoner who knows the identity of his captors and what he is up against, the Iranian diplomat was never charged with any crime and was completely left in the dark regarding his fate which all mounts up to psychological torture.
Throughout the 57 days Sharafi endured these excruciating circumstances most of which was spent in solitary confinement without light, sound or anything to read, the diplomat is partly deprived of his senses, his psychiatrist said.
The experience has left a damaging effect on Sharafi, who is continually reliving the trauma of his torture and sleep deprivations, solitary confinements and mock executions, causing problems in seeing and hearing for the official, the psychologist said.
The second secretary at Iran's Baghdad embassy gave a detailed account of beatings and interrogations, including being whipped on his feet with cables, gagged and threatened with his life.
A frail looking Sharafi who was brought to the press conference in a wheelchair said, "They tied my feet and hands and lashed my soles hundreds of times with cables and kicked and punched me."
The Iranian official who went missing in Baghdad more than two months back also showed traces of slash marks on his back.
Sharafi revealed that his captors "performed mock executions while my eyes were blindfolded and my hands and feet were bound.'' He said the drill torture occurred early in his captivity, and beatings took place throughout. Sharafi showed reporters nine holes in his ankle and foot he said were caused by a drill.
According to the diplomat's psychiatrist, exposing Sharafi to mock executions and threatening to give him to wild dogs along with food and sleep deprivation, has damaged parts of his brain.
The diplomat's psychologist asserted that Sharafi is extremely sensitive to sound, adding, "every time a door opens or closes he jumps up" as he is being reminded of the time his captors would come into his cell to torture him.
The psychologist also pointed to the fact that Sharifi is currently suffering from acute stress disorder for which he said may need to undergo months if not years of therapy.
Sharafi has repeatedly said that a U.S. official had been present when holes were drilled into his feet. The 40-year old diplomat stated that "The American began with a soft attitude at first but turned harsh "when he could not get what he wanted from me."
Jalal Sharafi, was released nine days ago, more than two months after armed gunmen wearing uniforms of the elite Iraqi Commando Battalion abducted the diplomat in central Baghdad where he was carrying a gift for his daughter.
Meanwhile, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation, Peter Stocker, visited Sharafi at an Iranian hospital, where he has been treated for injuries he sustained while in US custody in Iraq.
Stocker, who had personally examined Sharafi, told an AP correspondent that the Iranian official's wounds "happened during his detention," in Iraq.
No comments:
Post a Comment