Iranian families in the UAE feel “in agony and fear” for loved ones in their homeland as rights groups report a sharp rise in deaths of protesters.
The National has spoken to several Iranian residents in the UAE who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the continuing crackdown on demonstrations across their native country.
Most Iranians overseas have been unable to contact friends and relatives for days since the internet in Iran was shut down, cutting off the country from the rest of the world. Some in the UAE managed to receive a message confirming their families were safe but most have not been able to reach relatives since the communication blackout.
“It’s as if they are in jail and they are being killed inside and there is nothing we can do,” said an Iranian resident in Dubai. “We are crying, worrying and seeing videos of young people killed. Young people are our energy. I’m very sad, nervous, crazy with worry because when they [the regime] close the country, more people are killed.”
‘I’m scared but Iranians are brave’
Another Iranian citizen, who returned to the UAE a few days after the unrest began, told of the helplessness of those living overseas.
“I’m scared for them but I know they are not scared,” she said. “I know my family will be on the street every day after 6pm. My friend spoke about many families outside protesting. She told me of a mum holding the hands of her teenage sons, telling them not to be afraid. Iranians are brave to be on the streets but I’m scared.”
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A screengrab shows body bags lying outside Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran, after deadly protests across Iran. Reuters -
Activists attend a rally in support of the protesters, in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Protesters burn a picture of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei outside Downing Street, in London. EPA -
Demonstrators gather in Paris to support the Iranian people amid the anti-government protests in Iran. Reuters -
Smoke rises from a mosque as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, on Friday. Reuters -
Protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest in Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran, on Friday. Reuters -
A protester pulls down the Iranian flag from the balcony of Iran's embassy in central London on Saturday. AFP -
A person holds a placard, as demonstrators and activists rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran, outside the White House in Washington. Reuters -
Protesters display placards featuring portraits of Iranians executed by the Iranian regime, during a rally in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday. AFP -
People protest in solidarity with demonstrations in Iran at Malieveld Square, Netherlands on Saturday. AFP
She was referring to a call by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah of Iran who was deposed in the 1979 revolution. Mr Pahlavi recorded a video in which he called for people to take to the streets at 6pm in protest, to “seize city centres”. He also said he was preparing to return to Iran soon.
Waiting for Trump
Iranians have been shaken after seeing videos online sent from Iran showing bodies lying outside the country's largest cemetery in Tehran, with weeping relatives trying to identify family members. They cry as they watch footage showing mugshots of the dead – supposedly from a forensics centre nearby – linked to serial numbers and families being asked to claim them before burial, all broadcast on a big screen in the graveyard.
US President Donald Trump’s warning to Iran’s clerical rulers not to kill protesters or face action has garnered widespread support, with Iranians calling for outside intervention to back the demonstrators.
“They are waiting for Mr Trump," one Iranian said. "I feel America will help but it needs to be soon or many more people will die."
The demonstrations that began on December 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial, an economic slump and rising prices spread quickly, with protesters flooding the streets calling for an end to Iran’s theocratic regime.
Iranians fear the communication shutdown will embolden hardliners to press on with the crackdown. Iranian authorities have a history of suppressing protests, soon after the public takes to the streets to voice their views on issues such as women’s rights, drought and political freedom. Such activism has been met with large-scale arrests and severe security measures.
“People are on the streets because they don’t have a future, no jobs, no life and they are being killed,” an Iranian resident in UAE said. “People only have their hands, the [regime] has power, they are shooting with guns you use in war.
“We need help, the world should help us. There is nobody helping now and at this moment we need help. Yes, this is about food, prices but after 46 years this revolution is because people want change, we want a future – too many people have died.”
