Kapiköy, one of four border crossings between Iran and Turkey, is witnessing a surge in Iranians fleeing the regime-or seeking temporary work to send money home. Many refuse to speak, their eyes reflecting exhaustion and fear. Those who do frequently enough head to Van, a larger city roughly 60 miles away, crammed into minibuses or taxis.
“Their Souls are Dead”
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A young man, recently crossing the border, describes a chilling atmosphere of fear and violence in Iran.
A pale young man with large, dark eyes just crossed the border from Rasht, a city on the Caspian Sea.”I am fleeing Iran,” he whispers,his voice barely audible.”I was shot in the shoulder. A doctor, a friend, came to my home to treat me. We couldn’t go to a hospital. They arrest everyone who goes. Everyone. I saw what was happening. but I don’t want to talk about it. I can only tell you they are murdering peopel. They kill. They execute. They shoot people in the head. They killed a seven-year-old child. A little girl. I saw it with my own eyes.They kill everyone in Iran. And the people who are still alive… their souls are dead. Do you understand what I’m saying? They are dead inside.”
Friends have been lost,he sighs,particularly in the fire at the Rasht bazaar. His account corroborates fears of brutal repression in the coastal city, which also rose up on January 8th and 9th. “They set fire to the bazaar. The bazaar has four exits.They blocked three. And left one open so people coudl escape. And they positioned themselves there and shot at the people trying to flee the flames.”
Doctors on the Front Lines
Doctors attempting to help the injured are also in the crosshairs, a young physician who s
“They handcuff them, they hang them even in their homes. We like Trump. He will help us. We are waiting for him.”
Ahmed comes from Urmia, a small town on the other side of the border. He also believes the days of the regime are numbered. “It’s going to change, for sure. That’s what we all believe. As most of us think that the United States,Israel,and the Europeans have decided to bring down this government,the Islamic Republic.We think it won’t be a classic war. It will be surgical. But we don’t know who will be president or king… Right now, most Iranians are talking about Reza Pahlavi, but if we can choose the form of our government, it might be a republic. I don’t know. But what is certain is that we don’t want a religious government.”
“We Like Trump”
But for this young agronomist, who asks to be called Violette, Iranians won’t succeed alone. “Without outside help, it’s unachievable. Because they have weapons and people have nothing. But we don’t know… We are waiting. And we hope,but I don’t believe it anymore as no one helps us.”
There is now a lot of sadness, and despair, at the border.
