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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, April 8, 2010 · 12 Jailed man could feel the prayers of well-wishers Continued from page 11 He refused. Babak would not tell Vida what happened during these interrogations, however, Vida and her husband Behrouz Jamshidi were able to learn about the unusual technique Babak used to get through this situation. "He actually refused to talk. It was like a hunger strike, but he wasn't talking to anybody," said Jamshidi. "He was refusing to help them get whatever they wanted. They apparently even brought in a psychologist at one point to try and get him to talk." Vida's parents were unable to hire a lawyer to represent Babak because no one was willing to take his case for fear of being labeled a dissenter. All of this waiting and uncertainty took its toll. "I couldn't wear any colourful dresses for two months. I just didn't feel like it. I couldn't enjoy my life. I OVER 60,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS BEAT THE HST! HURRY GOV REBATE ENDS SOON 9 Locations To Serve You Better! *Call Dealer for Details *See dealer # Best Price # Best Service for details # Same Day Installation Available # Eligible for O.P.A. & Government Rebate THE BIGGEST SALE EVER $ 500 OFF 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 A+ Rating couldn't sleep very well because I'd be thinking, `How is my brother sleeping, how is my sister-in-law sleeping,'" said Vida. Then on March 1, Leva was released from prison. Her family met her outside the prison where sorrow was mixed with joy as she learned that shortly after she had been imprisoned her father was also arrested. He was eventually released weeks later. A day after Leva's release, Vida spoke to her on the phone. "That day was Heaven, I heard her voice and both of us started crying and we couldn't stop," said Vida. "She was happy she was out, but she was worried about her husband." Better news came two weeks later when, 65 days after Babak was first taken, his parents were finally allowed to visit him in prison. The 15-minute reunion in prison was not easy for either Babak or his parents to bear. "My mom said, `He lost so much weight and his hand was shaking.' They just saw him behind a glass window they could talk through while they (the authorities) listened." "My mom said he just cried for those 15 minutes. It was two weeks after his wife had been released and he Vida Mobasher didn't know. It's enough to be in prison, but he also had to worry about what was happening to his wife. " Soon after Vida was awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from her father. The authorities had contacted Vida's family to arrange for Babak's bail, which was provided in the form of the deed to the family home. The following day Babak was released with Vida and Jamshidi speaking with him shortly thereafter. It wasn't long before Jamshidi found that Babak, a fan of the Mr. Bean show, still had his trademark sense of humour. "Our greatest fear was that he'd been affected psychologically and on the phone he sounded well. In fact, we made a joke about me losing weight, asking him if I should try `the Iranian system,'" said Jamshidi. "He said, `I don't think two months is enough for you.'" Vida said Babak is even able to look back and laugh on the events of the day he got out of prison. On that day he was released earlier than what his family had been told, so there was no one there to greet him. The authorities had taken his shoes and his belt so, having lost so much weight, he had to hold his pants up to keep them from falling down. While he definitely was not laughing at the time, Vida said, he acknowledges he must have proved an amusing spectacle to those who saw him awkwardly making his way home. With Baha'i persecution still active in Iran and several of her friends still in prison, Vida is still nervous about the future. She thanks all the people of Oakville who sent letters or just prayed or offered well wishes for Babak and Leva's release. Babak has told Vida he could feel the prayers as he sat in his dark cell and that they helped him make it out.