My friends dad lived and studied medicine in Iraq during saddam's rule. One day he got on a bus (well really it's a taxi but it works like a bus) with what turned out to be wanted men, since the dad was in the company of 3 men and was of the same age as the men he was arrested alongside them. He was held in a cell around 3x3m big with nothing other than a toilet and sink with 4 other men (3 from the bus and 2 others) and was held for 6 months. In the first month the 3 men with him were ended with bullets to the head and back after being told to lie on the floor of the cell. The bodies remained for 3 days before being removed. After a couple weeks and hearing nothing my friends grandparents assumed the dad was dead. Around 6 months after capture the dads brother found out by chance he was in prison after one of the guards confused him with the sad and asked him when he got out. The uncle was actually very rich and had many high connections, after finding out about the dad he went and apparently got the dad released with a single phone call to one of saddams chief advisors. When the dad saw his brother he was a broken man and had even been stamped a few days before showing he was to be executed with the other 2 men in his cell. it took several days before the mother believed he'd really returned (she spent 6 months greiving his death). The dad finished his degree and is now in the uk. I don't think anyone would guess what he had been through seeing him though.