Exiled Journalist on Iran Protests: Regime Buys Time, Brutality Continues

Iran's Internet Blackout and Regime Tactics

• 🌍 The Iranian government maintains an internet blackout on social media, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the ongoing protests.
• ⏳ An exiled journalist believes the Islamic Republic is skilled at buying time to rebuild and recover, rather than enacting genuine reform.
• ⚠️ The regime's promises not to execute protesters are seen as a sign of fear and a response to pressure, but not a fundamental change in behavior.

Escalating Brutality and Death Toll

• 💔 The reported death toll of 2,797 protesters is considered an underestimation, with sources indicating a much higher number of people being killed and injured.
• 🏠 Security forces are described as storming homes, arresting people, shooting those on balconies, and even attacking hospitals to harm the injured.
• 💰 Families are reportedly forced to pay money to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones for burial.

Calls for International Pressure

• 💡 The journalist emphasizes that the regime cannot be reformed, as killing is in its DNA, citing the example of Navid Afkari's execution despite international pleas.
• 🚫 Iranians believe that targeted military action against those responsible for the massacres could save lives, as they are fighting a brutal regime with empty hands.
• 🛰️ There's a call for the free world, particularly Europeans, to pressure the Iranian regime against the digital blackout and consider actions like shutting down embassies.
• 🤝 Appeasement of the regime is seen as enabling a barbaric system that treats its own people like ISIS.