The Iranian Master of Captives "Hussain Lashgari"

Martyr Hussain Lashgari was born in Qazvin on 1952. He really loved to be a pilot. Finally he was graduated on 1977. As he finished the training courses at the Islamic Revolution Air Forces in Dezful, Mashhad and Tabriz.

Navideshahed – he had remained at the solitary prison at the first three months of the captive periods. After that he had been kept for 8 years beside 60 persons out of sight of The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement after the acceptance of the resolution the Bathi forces separated him from the other prisoners which lasted for 10 years. Finally he was introduced to The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement after 16 years and moved back to our country on 1998. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution called him "The Master of Captives of Iran". Finally he was martyred at the Laleh Hospital in Tehran on 2009.

Now we will introduce a book which was published specially for martyr Lashgari:

Mohammad Badaghi, the writer and researcher of the Sacred Defense Era in an exclusive interview with the reporter of Navideshahed announced: "18 Years of Captivity’ is about martyr prisoner of war Hussein Lashgari.”?

He experienced the longest captivity era as an Army officer and pilot; in a way that he was the first prisoner of war that was captured and he was the final prisoner of the war as well.

He continued: "Martyr Lashgari stayed in captivity fir 18 years and after the war and adopting the resolution, still he was resisting. Our Sacred Defense Era was 8 years, but the work of martyr Lashgari itself was a sacred defense too; because it was rare in the whole world that an officer to experience such a long captivity.”?

"I’m doing the initial stages of the writing of the book ‘18 Years of Captivity’ and I have been successful to get some valuable sources in this field as well,”? he added.

He also pointed out to the efforts that he does in order to improve this book and he said: "I would like my book to be documentary and interesting for this purpose I contacted with the Iraq’s embassy and if it be possible I will visit a person whose name was Abu Farah as the turnkey of martyr Lashgari.”?

It should be noted that commander pilot prisoner of war Hussein Lashgari that was nicknamed as the Sayyed Al-Osara (master of captives) by the supreme leader after tolerating 16 years captivity returned to Iran in 1998. He who had tolerated much difficulty and tough moments during his captivity was martyred in 2009 due to the complications resulted from his captivity era.

Receiving the military rank by the hand of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution

It was 11 p.m. that one of the authorities of Air Force brought the flight uniforms to me and he also gave the piloting boots to me and he said: "Tomorrow you will receive your rank from the supreme leader.”? I was awake until 2:00 o’clock midnight. At 7:00 o’clock in the morning after breakfast we moved towards Leader’s House with a guard. After investigation, we sat in a special place that had been considered for the Prisoners of War. It was 9:00 o’clock in the morning that the supreme leader came there. All of us stood up and we chanted some mottos. He asked us to sit. After that commander Najafi presented a report regarding the freedom of war veterans and since during of my captivity was so long, he suggested the Supreme leader to grant the nick name of ‘Seyed Al-Osara’ (Seyed of Prisoners of War).

The supreme leader smiled and he moved his head as a sign of confirmation.

At the end commander Najafi asked the supreme leader to paste the ranks by his own hands. I stood up in front of him. A person who had a try of ranks came there. My commandership ranking was on the tray. The supreme leader pasted the rank on my uniform by his hands. It was a very great and sweet moment for me. I could never believe it that until a few days ago I was a prisoner of war and no one would value me at all and now I was visiting the supreme leader of our country and the leader of world leaders.

At that moment I was thinking about this verse of Holy Quran which says: The honor and lowliness of humans is under the control of God. So God can make the persons as great persons if he wants and he can make the persons humble if he wants too.

Here are some unseen photos of martyr Lashgari: