The 1933  Entezam is born to a middle-class family in Tehran. 
Pre-Revolutionary Era: 1951-1953 
The British are forced to give up their monopoly over Iranian oil.  Liberal prime minister, Dr. Mossadegh, nationalizes the oil industry. 
1953  In a joint British-CIA operation, Dr. Mossadegh is overthrown. 
1955 
22-year old Entezam is chosen to be the representative of the National Liberation Movement to initiate contact with the American diplomats at the US embassy. 
1956 
Entezam leaves Iran and goes to study at the Sorbonne.  He completes his postgraduate education at the University of California in  Berkeley.  After graduation, he remains in the US and begins a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures. 
1970-1977 
Entezam returns to Iran to be with his dying mother.  Due to his earlier political activities, the Intelligence Service prevents him from leaving the country.  He settles in Iran, marries, and becomes a father while developing a thriving business partnership with his friend  and mentor, Mehdi Bazargan. 
June 1975  Iran ratifies the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. 
The Revolution: 1978 
In Tehran, US President, Jimmy Carter, praises the Shah for creating "an island of stability" in the region.  In a newspaper article, the government attacks Khomeini.  Riots break out in several major cities.  In September, martial law is imposed in Tehran and hundreds of 
protesters are killed by the police (Black Friday).  Bazargan invites Entezam to return to the political arena. 
Feb. 1979 
After 15 years of exile, Khomeini returns to Iran and appoints Bazargan to be the Prime Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government.  Bazargan asks Entezam to be the Deputy Prime Minister and the official spokesperson for the new government. 
The Crime (I):
 Feb.-Aug.1979 
Following the orders of the Prime Minister, Entezam sets out to rebuild the relationship between the US and the post-revolutionary Iran.  He retains diplomatic contacts with the US embassy, advocating for normalization of the relationship between the two countries. 
Aug. 1979  Sensing the fundamentalist opposition, Bazargan appoints Entezam to become Iran's ambassador to Sweden. 
Oct. 1979  The ailing Shah is admitted to the US. 
Nov. 4, 1979 
The radical Islamic Students seize the American Embassy in Tehran, holding over fifty American Diplomats hostage.  Two days later, Bazargan resigns in protest. 
Dec. 15, 1979 
Entezam receives a (forged) letter recalling him to Tehran. Entezam, well aware and advised of the eminent dangers, decides to return. 
The Arrest  (I):
Dec. 19, 1979 
Radical Islamic Students claim to have found documents at the US Embassy linking Entezam to CIA.  Several hours after Entezam's arrival in Tehran, he is arrested on the charges of "treason." 
Jan. 1981  The American hostages are released. 
Feb. 1981  Entezam is brought before the Islamic Revolutionary Court for the first time since his arrest in 1979. 
The Trial (I): Mar. 17, 1981 
Entezam's trial begins before an Islamic Revolutionary Court composed of four members.  Entezam is denied access to a defense counsel and the evidence against him.  Bazargan testifies in defense of Entezam. 
Apr. 4, 1981 
A leading Iranian jurist, Sheik Ali Teherani, widely considered the most prominent legal scholar in Iran, questions the legality of the trial. (New York Times, Apr. 5, 1981, at 15) 
May 12, 1981  A revolutionary judge threatens to issue an arrest warrant for a lawyer who had offered to defend Entezam. (Reuters, May 12, 1981, AM cycle) 
June 10, 1981  Entezam sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Punishment (I): 1981-1995  Entezam is subjected to a variety of physical and psychological torture in prison. 
1991-1994 
Entezam becomes Amnesty International's Prisoner of the Year. UN's special commissioner, Galindo Pohl, requests to meet Entezam in prison.  Representatives of other human rights organizations soon follow. 
Nov. 19, 1995  Entezam moved from prison to house arrest on the recommendation of physicians. 
Dec. 1997  Entezam honored with the Bruno Kreisky Award for Outstanding Achievement in Human Rights. 
The Release: Jan. 1996  Entezam is released. 
The Crime (II):
Apr. 1998 
During an extensive interview with Jameah newspaper (subsequently banned from publication), Entezam fearlessly criticizes the government and talks about torture in prisons.
Aug. 23, 1998  Former head of the Evin prison in Tehran, Assadolah Lajevardi, assassinated. 
Sept. 1998 
In an interview with the Voice of America, Entezam publicly condemns the prison conditions and treatment of prisoners while Lajevardi was in charge. 
The Arrest (II):
Sept. 8, 1998 
Entezam is summoned to court on charges of defamation.  At a court hearing, Entezam explains that his remarks were based on Lajevardi's behavior and that he has evidence corroborating his remarks.  He is then released from detention.  Nevertheless, he was taken to Evin prison immediately thereafter.  Authorities claim that his previously suspended life imprisonment sentence is now being reinforced. 
The Trial (II): Oct. 3, 1998  The court meets in Entezam's absence behind closed doors. 
     
     
The Trial (II):    

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