Jailed Iran opposition activists 'targeted for rape'
Prison guards in Iran are giving condoms to criminals and encouraging them to systematically rape young opposition activists locked up with them, according to accounts from inside the country's jail system.
A series of dramatic letters written by prisoners and families of imprisoned activists allege that authorities are intentionally facilitating mass rape and using it as a form of punishment.
Mehdi Mahmoudian, an outspoken member of Iran's Participation Front, a reformist political party, is among those prisoners who have succeeded in smuggling out letters revealing the extent of rape inside some of the most notorious prisons.
Mahmoudian was arrested in the aftermath of Iran's 2009 disputed presidential election for speaking to the press about the regime's suppression of the movement and is currently in Rajaeeshahr prison in Karaj, a city 12 miles (20km) to the west of the capital, Tehran.
"In various cells inside the prison, rape has become a common act and acceptable," he wrote in a letter published on Kaleme.com, the official website of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.
According to Mahmoudian and letters published on various opposition websites, political prisoners are locked up with some of the most dangerous criminals – murderers and ex-members of armed gangs.
Meanwhile, 26 prominent political activists who have been in jail since the 2009 election have written to an official prison monitoring body accusing the government's intelligence ministry and the revolutionary guards of harassing inmates with unlawful tactics that included sexual assaults.
Mohsen Aminzadeh, a senior deputy foreign minister, Mohsen Mirdamadi, a leader of a reformist party and Behzad Nabavi, a veteran activist are among those who put their signatures on the letter.
Speaking to Jaras, a website run by opposition activists, families of political prisoners have alleged that prison guards are failing to protect them from rape or sexual assault.
"During exercise periods, the strong ask for sex without any consideration. Criminals are repeatedly seen with condoms in hand, hunting for their victims," an unnamed family member told Jaras.
"If the inmate is not powerful enough or guards would not take care of him, he will be certainly raped. Prison guards ignore those who are seen with condoms simply because they were given out to them by the guards at first place," the family member said.
The family members say prison guards are turning a blind eye to the systematic rape and have ignored complaints made by rape victims.
Letters From The Inside - News
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Letters From The Inside « Rachel Loveday's Online Portfolio…
Letters From The Inside by John Marsden
John Marsden is a successful author from my native Australia, who is well known for his uncanny ability to step into the shoes of adolescents and tell their own and unique story with raw and powerful honesty that any reader, anywhere in the world can relate to as soon as they set their eyes on page one.
Well, John Marsden’s work has that effect on me and Letters from the Inside was no exception.
We are introduced to Mandy; a 15 year old, who has an older sister, a “creepy” brother, a dog with no name and overall, a pretty good life. She initiates a pen pal friendship with Tracey; who has a horse, three dogs, a cat, comes from a wealthy family and by appearances, her life seems idyllic.
The friendship between these two girls is established quickly and is full of curiosity and excitement. But as the letters mount and time progresses, we are later exposed to their raw and all-too-tragic and painful world which includes; domestic violence, secrets, lies, hopes, fears and dreams for better lives.
Mandy’s “creepy” brother turns out to be violent and often uses Mandy as a boxing bag for his rage. She constantly lives in fear of him and no-one believes her when she asks for help.
Whilst Mandy opens up to Tracey about her dangerous situation, Tracey continues to brag about her perfect life, which causes a rift early on in their friendship, but they still persevere with the hope of a strong life-long friendship which is constantly tested, especially when Mandy discovers the truth behind Tracey’s “idyllic” life, which turns out to be the complete opposite of what Mandy and the readers have been lead to believe.
John Marsden’s work forces you to read between the lines to find the truth, foreshadowing constantly present in the background.
Inside American History: A Multimedia Collection of Documents, Letters, Diaries and Essays, from 1492 to the Present: 
Inside American History: A Multimedia Collection of Documents, Letters, Diaries and Essays, from 1492 to the Present: 
An inside look at the film from director himself: Letters From The Inside - Bookshelf
Letters from the inside
When Tracey and Mandy first became pen pals, they never guessed that they would soon discover the darkest secrets of each other's troubled lives.Letters from the inside
Letters from the inside
Letters from the Inside
Letters from the inside, Teachers notes
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Amazon.com: Letters from the Inside (9780440219514): John ...
Amazon.com: Letters from the Inside (9780440219514): John Marsden: Books
Letters from the Inside - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Letters From the Inside is a Young Adult novel written by Australian author John Marsden. ... The story is told in the form of letters exchanged between fifteen ...
Letters From The Inside
LETTERS FROM THE INSIDE TELLS THE STORY OF SUCH A POTENTIAL KILLER FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ... Featured on the audio recording of LETTERS FROM THE INSIDE ...
Canceled Lives: Letters from the Inside (Video 1993) - IMDb
Canceled Lives: Letters from the Inside (Video 1993) ... Prison documentry/drama in which various prison inmates' letters to family and friends are read by celebrity ...
Letters From The Inside
Letters From The Inside. Some things you need to hear from someone behind bars. ... Paul ends his letter to the Philippians with a note to a couple of ...