Maziar Bahari, the Iranian-Canadian journalist jailed in Tehran in the aftermath of Iran's presidential election this past summer, says he considered taking his own life while he was in custody.
In a recent interview with CNN, Bahari talked about the desperation he felt while being held in the infamous Evin prison, whose tortured prisoners he had repeatedly interviewed.
It is the same prison where Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death six years ago.
Bahari said he considered slitting his wrists while he suffered at the hands of interrogators whom he says were "masters of psychological torture."
"My interrogator told me I was going to be executed everyday.
"I was living with the threat of execution everyday for almost three months."
The Newsweek correspondent was accused of being a spy after being arrested while covering the elections last June.
He was kicked, punched and slapped during his time in captivity, but Bahari said "the psychological torture was much more effective" than the physical torture.
Bahari said his jailers tried to pressure him into naming others and fabricating stories.
He was put in solitary confinement, which he said was "as if you were in a grave."
While Bahari considered taking his own life, he said the thought of his family, wife and unborn child kept him from doing so.
"Why should I do their job for them. If they want to kill me they can do it themselves. I am not going to be their executioner."
Bahari was eventually allowed to return to London, where his pregnant wife was due to give birth. He credits a massive international campaign for securing his release.
He also recounted one of the more bizarre moments of his captivity -- when his jailers showed a clip of "The Daily Show" where he was interviewed by comedian "correspondent" Jason Jones in Iran.
In the clip he was shown, Jones was pretending to be a redneck spy who knows little about the Middle East. The interview took place about one week before Bahari was arrested.
Bahari's interrogator described it as a "damning clip" before showing it to the imprisoned journalist.
"I was going to ask them `what've you been smoking' it is just unbelievable."
"I asked them, `I hope you don't believe he is a real spy.' "
With files from The Canadian Press
