2024-09-16
10 分钟I took off my hijab and didn't even wear it as a shawl around my neck.
I didn't care to hide who I am or where the photo was taken.
I wanted to say we exist.
In 2022, anti government protests swept over Iran after the death of a young woman in police custody.
The protesters battle cry women Life Freedom resounded across the world.
But two years on Iraq, Iran's government continues to clamp down, evolving surveillance for a new era of digital resistance, arresting thousands of protesters.
Within the first few months, we saw upwards of 20,000 protesters arrested.
And putting them on trial for their online activity.
I was accused of propaganda against the Islamic Republican and sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
Over the past few months, we've carefully gathered the testimonies of five people from Iran who were arrested for their social media activity.
The BBC and other independent media are not allowed to report freely from the country.
They've taken great risks speaking with us and for their safety, we've kept some details vague.
Court documents shared with us show Iranian authorities are using social media to build cases against people, charging them with propaganda against the state and for taking part in the Women Life Freedom protests.
I knew exactly what they had done to Mahsa.
I had experienced the morality police's beatings eight times.
When this happened, it was like they had killed a part of me.
It was like they had killed my sister.
Her name was Mahsa Gina Amini.
She was arrested by the morality police for wearing her hijab loosely.
Eyewitnesses say she was then beaten in a van.