To protect his identity, we're going to call him S. And he essentially told me he was arrested for participating in the protests. He's out on bail now, which is something the government actually does pretty frequently. They are known to arrest protesters, release them on bail so that these charges are hanging over them. It helps them keep people off of the streets, but also out of the prisons if they're needing to move lots of people through.
This episode contains descriptions of violence and injury.
In September, protests began in Iran over the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, at the hands of the government. The demonstrations have since intensified, as has the government’s response, with thousands arrested and a terrifying campaign of public executions underway.
Today, Iranians who have taken part in the demonstrations tell us — in their own words — why they are willing to brave such severe punishments to help bring about change.
Guest: Cora Engelbrecht, an international reporter for The New York Times.
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