Copyright 2000, ARN

This is a picture that I took at a salon at the home of an Iranian friend in Tehran in January 2000. We talked deep into the night that evening. I was stunned by Ganji's candor, his unblinkered rigorous mind and his forthright understanding of the heavy cost that he might well pay for his oppositional voice.

Among other thingsm he referred to then President Khatami and noted that Khatami "spent us too cheaply." What he meant by that was that people like himself were willing to sacrifice to change the system, but Khatami squandered their sacrifices rather than spending them wisely.