3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Aude Story

As Erik Audé (Erik Audé) is led down a desolate prison corridor to his cell, he is unceremoniously thrust inside, a stark contrast to the tough exterior he wears. Few know that behind this rugged façade lies a complex individual who has learned to laugh off life's challenges, secure in the knowledge that there are worse things to come. When not honing his poker skills or dedicating time to a charity that rescues animals from dire situations, Erik is driven by an insatiable desire for closure, stemming from his tumultuous experience in Pakistan.

Born into a fractured home environment, where multiple stepbrothers and a mother who wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue created a sense of instability, Erik's early life was marked by uncertainty. His closest ally, Sherry, however, steadfastly proclaims his innocence, a testament to the resilience he has developed over the years.

As a pre-teen, Erik's fascination with the action-packed world of film led him to visit the set of Lethal Weapon 3, sparking an ambition to act and perform death-defying stunts. His natural aptitude for football, largely driven by his love of physical confrontation, earned him a decent reputation on the high school gridiron. By the age of 18, Erik had made the bold decision to leave his hometown behind and set out for Hollywood, where he would face the harsh realities of making ends meet.

Though always managing to find work, Erik's relentless pursuit of roles was tempered by an unwavering commitment to earning a steady income. One such endeavor found him manning the front desk at Burbank's athletic club, where his affable nature earned him the trust and confidence of patrons. Among those he befriended during this period were Rai Gharizian and Arra, the latter working as a courier importing luxurious leather goods from around the world.

Intrigued by the prospect of joining one of these expeditions, Erik sought counsel with an FBI acquaintance of his mother's, who reassured him that while the criminal underworld was certainly present, the worst-case scenario would be a fine. Little did he know, however, that his overprotective upbringing had left him vulnerable to manipulation by a masterful charlatan, whose wolf-like demeanor belied a calculated plan to exploit Erik's gullibility.

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As December 2000 drew to a close, Erik found himself in Istanbul, Turkey, tasked with transporting two suitcases on a flight bound for Stockholm. Little did he know that this innocuous endeavor would set off a chain reaction of events that would test his mettle. Upon arrival, Erik's luggage sparked the interest of a keen-nosed drug sniffing dog, but the incident proved to be nothing more than a mere hiccup in an otherwise uneventful journey. Fast forward to the following month, when Rai suggested another clandestine trip, this time bound for Pakistan. However, Erik was already committed to working as a stuntman on the production of "The Scorpion King," leaving him little opportunity to entice others or maintain his own involvement with Rai's operation. The devastating events of 9/11 would later serve as a catalyst, causing nearly all potential courier volunteers to flee in fear. In desperation, Erik offered up his brother Peter for the perilous journey, only to have him back out at the last minute due to the destination's treacherous reputation. Despite being short on time, Erik ultimately agreed to take Peter's place, driven by a sense of responsibility and a reluctance to leave Rai in the lurch.

In February 2020, Erik arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was greeted with a cryptic warning from his handlers: stay put and avoid drawing attention to himself. The anticipated delivery of leather goods proved to be a long time coming, prompting Erik to take a leisurely jog through the city's bustling streets - an act that would prove foolhardy in hindsight, given the prevailing cultural attitudes toward Westerners. When the goods finally arrived at his hotel, only one suitcase materialized, leaving Erik to wonder if he had been played. A hasty phone call to Rai confirmed his suspicions: the shipment was indeed limited. As Erik waited for further instructions, he found himself whisked past airport security lines, his suitcase subject to a surprise inspection that would soon prove calamitous.

In the days that followed, Erik's world began to unravel with dizzying speed. Upon discovering opium in his suitcase, authorities swiftly threw him into prison, where he faced the daunting prospect of physical remand - a form of punishment all too familiar in Pakistani justice systems, which often involves brutal beatings until the accused confesses to their supposed crimes. In a desperate bid to intervene on Erik's behalf, Sherry, his mother, received a frantic call from the American embassy, informing her that her son faced charges of drug smuggling and was staring down a grim sentence of death by hanging. In the face of such unimaginable terror, Christy Agor, a representative from the U.S. Embassy, managed to negotiate a reduction in Erik's physical remand from a grueling ten days to a merciful three, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak and foreboding landscape.

As the documentary delves into the reenacted scenes, Erik (Mark Hapka) finds himself transported to a prison set, where the torturous experiences of his 21-year-old self are brought vividly to life. The narrative unfolds as Erik is led into a dimly lit room, where he's met with the harsh reality of an interrogator hell-bent on extracting information from him. Handcuffed to a chair, Erik becomes the focal point of a grueling interrogation, his answers scrutinized and his denials met with brutal force.

The initial questioning revolves around Erik's identity, origins, and career, but when he's asked about the source of the drugs, he firmly denies any involvement. The interrogator's disdain for Erik's supposed deceit culminates in a vicious physical assault, leaving him reeling from the blows. Despite his protests of having revealed all he knows, the torturer takes pride in breaking a Hollywood movie star.

The psychological torment continues as Erik is subjected to electrodes and forced to endure prolonged periods of standing with arms overhead, his consciousness wavering between reality and delirium. The cycle of violence and intimidation persists until finally, Erik's ordeal reaches its most extreme point: waterboarding. Due to his innocence, Erik has no correct answers to offer, yet he draws upon his preparation for a hypothetical appearance on "Fear Factor" – practicing breath-holding in the shower and before bed – and astonishingly holds his breath for three minutes.

As the day wears on, an exhausted Erik is thrown into a desolate cell with nothing but a bucket for comfort. The next morning, he's dragged down to the interrogator once more, this time pleading his innocence and decrying the torture of an innocent man. His tormentor's response is predictable: confess that the drugs are yours, and all this suffering will cease. Erik's defiance remains unwavering, fueled by a deep-seated conviction in his own innocence.

The physical toll of Erik's experiences is underscored by his remarkable resilience, thanks to the discipline honed from his childhood struggles with chronic pain following a bus accident that left him with a broken pelvis. His mother's words of wisdom – "You've always had physique, discipline, and pain tolerance" – become a beacon of strength as he faces down his captors.

As Erik is whisked away to Pakistan's Central Jail Adyala, he finds himself in a precarious situation, separated from his loved ones. The only connection he has to his family is through a phone call to his mother, who is frantically searching for him back home. Meanwhile, the authorities in the US are hot on the trail of Rai Gharizian, Erik's suspected nemesis. Through a series of twists and turns, they manage to track down Rai's office phone, where his mother shares her son's story with an unsuspecting Rai Ghanaian. The latter reveals that he knows who orchestrated Erik's troubles - none other than Razmik Minasian.

Upon arrival at the prison, Erik is greeted by the numberdards, a group of hardened prisoners tasked with maintaining order within the walls. As he navigates this treacherous landscape, Erik finds himself in a series of intense physical altercations, which he claims to have dominated with ease. This bravado serves as a means for him to assert his dominance and establish himself within the prison hierarchy.

However, his ego is soon deflated when he's overwhelmed and beaten by a group of prisoners who resent his newfound status. He's subsequently relegated to a cramped, closet-sized cell known as kasoari, where he'll spend an astonishing 132 days of his three-year confinement.

Erik is determined not to burden his loved ones with the details of his ordeal. He keeps his experiences locked away, knowing that sharing them would only serve to distress those around him. Moreover, he's aware that revealing the truth about his confinement could have far-reaching consequences for those closest to him.

Meanwhile, back in the States, Erik's mother is working tirelessly to free her son and keep his spirits afloat. She also takes it upon herself to ensure that Pakistan feels the weight of international scrutiny, knowing that this will put pressure on the authorities to treat Erik fairly. As a result, prison officials decide that the safest place for Erik is on death row, where he'll have his own cell, albeit one infested with rats and exposed to the elements.

Despite these trying circumstances, Erik finds solace in learning the Urdu language, which earns him a measure of respect among his fellow prisoners. He also forms an unlikely friendship with Mourad, a man who has committed a heinous crime by killing 11 members of his wife's family after they sought revenge for their decision to forego an arranged marriage. Mourad, who speaks some English, introduces Erik to the game of Texas Hold 'em Poker, providing a much-needed respite from the harsh realities of prison life.

As Sherry searched her own labyrinthine path for answers, Erik languished in prison, his quest for redemption and vindication met with unyielding resistance. Six months had passed since his arrest, but it wasn't until Razmik Minasian, a fellow accused, was taken into custody that the DEA finally began to question their initial assumptions about Erik's involvement in the opium trade. However, this newfound doubt did little to improve Erik's circumstances, as he remained trapped behind bars, forced to navigate the Byzantine Pakistani legal system.

In a new cell, Erik found himself sharing space with four Palestinian hijackers who had orchestrated the seizure of a Pan Am flight. Their influence and connections within the prison allowed them to exert significant control over the guards, and Erik seized this opportunity to acquire a camera, capturing fleeting moments in his desperate bid for justice. He also managed to procure a cell phone, allowing him to maintain contact with loved ones under the cover of darkness.

As Erik's case continued to stall, he hired a lawyer who promised results but delivered only frustration. Trips to court became a ritualistic exercise, with judges and lawyers alike failing to appear or offering hollow reassurances. In desperation, Erik's mother turned to Razmik Minasian, appealing to his sense of justice and threatening his own children in the hopes that he would provide an affidavit clearing her son's name.

When a deal was offered in court: plead guilty and serve two years, with the promise of release within months, Erik refused to compromise his integrity. His interpreter posed a poignant question: which held greater value, his pride or his freedom? Erik's unwavering resolve led to a sentence of seven years, a harsh reality that set him on a path towards high court.

Sherry, determined to secure her husband's release, hired a highly regarded lawyer who demanded an exorbitant fee. When Erik fired this counsel, the lawyer continued to insert himself into the case, accepting the seven-year sentence on his behalf at the high court. Frustrated and desperate, Erik turned to a new legal team recommended by his prison colleagues, pleading for mercy from the court. Seven months later, they received a second chance, but the backlog of cases delayed their hearing by another 16 months.

As the harsh reality of his circumstances sunk in, Erik succumbed to one of the most brutal physical assaults of his life, a testament to the cruel nature of his imprisonment. The prison's notorious guard, "Goldleaf", had taken a peculiar interest in extracting monetary compensation from Erik in exchange for cigarettes, which only served to fuel his desperation and despair. As he lay battered and broken, Erik's thoughts turned to the ultimate escape, as the searing pain from a severe earache threatened to consume him whole. Yet, just as all hope seemed lost, the prison superintendent appeared, affording Erik a fleeting opportunity to convey the injustices he had endured at Goldleaf's hands. The outcome was swift and merciless – Goldleaf was summarily terminated.

Years passed, with Erik's life marked by moments of both brutality and unexpected reprieve. In January 2004, while laboring in the prison yard, Erik found himself face-to-face with a would-be attacker who had leapt the perimeter fence armed with a knife. A brief but intense struggle ensued, culminating in a moment of clarity that saw Erik deliver a fatal blow to his assailant's neck. The weight of this event would linger, tempered only by the prospect of redemption. Two years of imprisonment gave way to an unexpected opportunity – a teaching position, which granted Erik access to death row and a poignant reunion with his friend Mourad. Amidst their camaraderie, Mourad extended an invitation to share in a convivial evening of dining and gaming. The next morning, Mourad's sentence was carried out.

Fast-forward to April 2004, when Sherry secured a meeting with the brother of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, appealing for clemency on behalf of her son. This entreaty was accompanied by a heartfelt letter, which she presented to the president's representative. Additionally, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a stalwart advocate for prisoners of conscience, responded with a message of support. As Erik's court date drew near, the prison authorities – including assistant superintendents, numbered guards, and corrections officers – united in prayer for his release. The prison doctor's tears flowed freely as he delivered the long-awaited news: Erik was finally free to return home.

December 26th, 2004, saw Erik welcomed back by friends and family, a testament to the enduring power of hope and resilience. In a separate narrative thread, the consequences of Razmik Minasian's actions in July 2002 came to light. His deal with law enforcement, which had reduced his punishment and led to the largest opium bust in Glendale history, left Erik with little choice but to seek justice through legal means. A $20.4 million civil suit was ultimately awarded in Erik's favor in 2007, though the struggle to collect a single dollar continued unabated. Razmik Minasian remains at large, evading interview requests from documentary producers and leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions.

As Erik emerged from the crucible of his three-year tribulation, a coterie of supportive friends played a crucial role in his revitalization. The art of poker proved to be a particularly potent catalyst for growth, transforming his life in ways both tangible and intangible. On his inaugural night at the casino, a generous friend bestowed upon him a modest $50 stake, which Erik miraculously transformed into a staggering $2,600 windfall. His associates, impressed by his unwavering integrity and authenticity, enthusiastically endorse the validity of his tale and the compassionate individual he has evolved into. According to Erik, this transformative experience instilled within him a newfound sense of empathy, rendering him less self-absorbed and more grateful for life's smallest pleasures. Today, he continues to hone his poker skills, pursue a dual career as an actor and stuntman, and explore the world alongside his loving partner.