SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Diego Navy veteran who was tortured and imprisoned by the Iranian regime says he is hopeful following the death of Iran's leader, saying he’s "elated, celebratory” because “the man deserves to face justice.”
Michael White, a former Navy veteran and political prisoner, had submitted a letter to the White House just weeks before the military strikes that killed the Iranian leader, calling on President Trump to act.
In the letter, White urged action as Iran was cracking down on dissidents.
"Now you have opportunity. Do something great for Iranian people, to help them achieve their freedom," White said.
The word freedom carries deep personal meaning for White.
In July 2018, after completing treatment for lymphoma, White flew from San Diego to Iran to visit his fiancée, whom he had met online. During a ride to meet her, he was taken into custody.
"They didn't bring food, water. Nothing, first 3 days I was there," White said.
White says he was taken to a site for high-risk individuals and put in a cell with no bed and a part of a toilet bowl placed in the ground. He says he was threatened with guns, tasers, and other devices. He forced to write fake confessions about being a spy, and was tortured and humiliated.
"Takes a whip snaps me on my toes," White said. "Took a bucket of cold water, poured it on me while sleeping," White said. “They would blindfold me, walk me around, trip me, or walk me around, grab me in the crotch."
The torture of his fellow detainees still haunts him.
“Next room over, they were hitting him. He was screaming. I remember the sounds of tasers being used,” White said.
White was eventually convicted of several charges, including Insulting Iran's Supreme Leader, and sentenced to a decade in prison. He says after a failed suicide attempt, he was beaten.
Nearly two years after his detention, White was released as part of a prisoner swap. Months later, he met with President Trump.
Nearly 6 years after his release, White says the news of the Iranian leader's death brought an emotional response.
"Elated, celebratory," White said. "They tortured me and others... Don't mean to celebrate death, but this guy deserves to face justice for what he did to a lot of people."
White says he has no idea whether anyone in the White House read his letter, but believes his story — and the stories of other victims of the regime — were part of the motivation for the military strikes.
"It gives me more hope for future… progress toward a more peaceful world," White said.
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