North Texas Iranian Americans react to news of massacres during anti-government protests
In Iran, anti-government protests have filled the streets for weeks. Now, witnesses say, the bodies of executed protestors are filling the morgues.
"I feel like my eyes are blind. I don't see anything, other than just news," said Hannah. "And then, staring at my phone, maybe I can hear from them. But yeah, I'm so worried."
Born in Iran, she asked that we call her "Hannah" and hide her face: the Iranian government knows she's here.
"I have a couple of times received threats from my family through them," she said from her home in North Texas.
Even safe in the U.S., Hannah lives with fear, mostly for her siblings still in Iran. They communicate through cryptic messages passed through relatives in Europe. She knows not to underestimate the Iranian government.
"Like 10, 12 years ago, they raided our house, and they took my mom in the morning. And then my mom went to... prison for 11 days. And then we put collateral to just release her."
Eventually, the family escaped, but the violence and chaos continue.
"It's extremely heartbreaking," says Homeira Hesami.
Hesami knows that fear well. As a teenager, she was accused of supporting the anti-government resistance and imprisoned, along with her cousin.
"They were tried in a short, kangaroo court and were executed." But, not, Hesami said, before her cousin was tortured.
"It's just without any explanation," said Hesami.
Hesami believes that the Iranian regime is vulnerable now, prompting unimaginable brutality against the protestors. Many reports have surfaced saying protestors are being executed where they stand.
Still, she says the youth have so little to live for in the country with no freedoms and a collapsing economy, that they are willing to die. And they are doing so by the thousands.
"Like... 20,000 or so," said Hesami, citing other reporting agencies, "so it is extremely disturbing."
Both women are asking the world community to respond to the massacres with both outrage and action, pushing leaders to close embassies and cut off financial resources to the regime.
"Iran's regime is capable of more than what you think," said Hannah. "They are the main leader of the terrorism in the world and then they just export terrorism to other countries because they enjoy this chaos."
The internet has been cut off to the country, so contact is currently limited. But "Hannah" fears that more bloodshed is coming.
"Whatever happens to us is better than living like this," said Hannah. "People are fed up with the situation."