"Before this September, I hadn’t heard from Yara in months. They’re an Iranian journalist who has reported for the country’s most prominent newspapers and publications. We first met in New York in 2018 and bonded over the difficulties that come with reporting on Iran: they were rightly afraid of being arrested for their work, and I’ve been afraid that I will no longer be able to return to the country where I was born due to writing about it from abroad. As the Islamic Republic began to escalate the crackdowns on journalists, activists, and civil society, Yara—a pseudonym I’m using to protect their identity—was forced to leave Iran. If the authorities knew that Yara was communicating with me, an Iranian dual national who works for the New York Times, they could accuse them of conspiracy, spying, and a whole host of other nonsensical charges. I worried about Yara, but I knew their silence meant they were safe. ...”
NY Times: Iran’s Loyal Security Forces Protect Ruling System That Protesters Want to Topple (Oct. 17), How Two Teenagers Became the New Faces of Iran’s Protests (Oct. 13), Unveiled and Rising Up: How Protests in Iran Cut to the Heart of National Identity (Oct. 5)
Aljazeera: Iran indicts dozens for inciting ‘riots’ amid persisting protests (Video - Oct. 12), Can protests in Iran bring change? (Audio)
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