Jail had traumatized them. What I can't get a handle on is the bravery of these women. They had been imprisoned, tortured, driven to the limit. But they continue to speak out. Bravery is a funny thing.
Journalists get a whiff of it themselves if they are covering conflicts.
But it is normally short-lived, an adrenaline high. Not, it seems, for these women. For them, it is a way of life. Ani was imprisoned in 1992 at the age of 15 for the offense of taking part in a peaceful protest. A political prisoner.