Iranian Protesters Who Escaped ‘Hell’ Now Follow the War from Exile
Thousands of Iranian activists who fled government crackdowns now watch from exile as their country faces military strikes. They are separated from their families, watching helplessly as war unfolds at home.
Farhad Sheikhi
The 34-year-old Iranian Kurd fled to Iraq after witnessing fellow protesters killed by gunfire. “I literally saw hell,” he said.
He was jailed three times in 2022 for joining protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Torture left him with permanent hearing loss.
With Iran’s Internet under blackout, he receives news of his family only through occasional phone calls from a friend.
His dream is to reach Germany to finish his law studies. Returning to Iran remains too dangerous.
Aresto Pasbar
Shotgun pellets during 2022 protests left the 38-year-old activist blind in his left eye. He underwent five surgeries.
He fled Iran to Turkey, then attempted to reach Europe by boat. A human rights group helped him gain asylum in Germany in 2023.
But he could not remain comfortable while his people suffered. When the war started, he left Germany to join Kurdish rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan.
“In my heart, I couldn’t remain in comfort and simply watch my people be oppressed,” he said. He now faces the possibility of never seeing his wife and daughters again.
Amina Kadri
Her husband Ikbal fled Iran in 2005 for political asylum. Fifteen years later, he was killed near the Iraqi-Iranian border, his body dumped in a river.
Just 53 days after her husband’s death, her eldest son—who remained in Iran—was executed at age 30. She believes it was a setup.
“My life is no more valuable than my son’s or my husband’s,” the 61-year-old said. She now wishes only to see the Islamic republic fall.
Watching from Afar
These three stories represent thousands of Iranians scattered across the world. They carry physical scars and emotional trauma from government violence. As military strikes rain down on Iran, they watch helplessly, separated from loved ones and unable to return home.
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