“Some days you can only write with tears”
This morning, on 28 May 2025, Pedram Madani is gone, taken away by a regime without honour. Another innocent person, accused of false treason, has been thrown into the dust.
His death is an immense grief for all those who loved him, and a bitter loss for the world, which has been deprived of a man who reminded it of what greatness is. Pedram was so much more than just a political prisoner, one victim among many or the scapegoat of an insane regime.
He was my carpentry master, my companion in spirit, my refuge. He was the one who knew how to make me smile again. He taught me how to be a man and showed me the path to virtue, courage and dignity.
He embodied pure strength – the kind that supports and never fails. Only once did he shed tears – for his father’s grief, which he could never honour. Demons stole that last farewell from him. They claimed it was too dangerous. I do understand their reasoning, since their darkness could not handle the brilliance of his goodness.
He exuded an impregnable nobility. They tried to break him, damage his soul and reduce him to their own ugliness. All in vain. Even suffering did not turn him into a hateful person. They tortured his body, but his soul always eluded them, remaining impervious to their violence.
Selfishly, I dreamed of keeping him all to myself. But how I wish you could have seen how radiant he was in the midst of our shadows, felt the power of his presence, the peace he inspired, the tenderness in his eyes.
What a privilege, my brother. What an honour to have walked beside you, to have shared some of your burden, to have carried your story in mine. Meeting you is enough to give meaning to my wounds.
If only you could have seen the uprising of all those who loved you, the humanity standing to help you. From Tehran to Washington, from Paris to Montreal, from London to Melbourne, from Madrid to Oslo. How I wish you could have known how much we tried to deserve you.
But remain at peace. We won’t allow them to desecrate your memory. Your face may have faded from the world, but it shines brightly in our hearts. We are the guardians of your legacy, and we will ensure that it lives on beyond us.
Farewell, my friend.
Louis Arnaud
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