“My body wouldn’t cooperate with me [in solitary confinement]. I’ve never been alone for this long and as a result, I ended up focusing on my body and its pains. My back, feet, and hips hurt if I sat down for too long, but there was only enough space to take three steps if I’d walked.

“I was angry at my body for not understanding that sitting was the only thing one can do in this situation. I’d gone through many tough trips before, but my body never challenged me like this. I was desperate and humiliated.

“Sleeping was the worst. There wasn’t any pillow. I had to fold my blanket. If I folded it once or twice, it would be too short. If I folded it three times, it would be too high and my neck would hurt. After solving the pillow problem, it was time to find the right sleeping position. When I would lie down flat on my back, the light would keep me awake. When I slept sitting upright, a neck cramp would wake me up. When I slept on my side, the woolen blanket would cause my ear to become unbearably hot.

“At last, I would rock myself and think of the good days to fall asleep. This ongoing struggle stopped on the 10th day when, I guess, my body got used to the new situation. One day I cried for four hours.

“After I was released, I read a similar experience in 1984 by George Orwell. It was very interesting to see that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world or what year it is are; the experience is the same.”