Sheelan Yousefizadeh (33) is one of many Irish-Iranian citizens feeling increasing worry for their families’ safety in Tehran as the war in Iran escalates.
Ms Yousefizadeh fears for the wellbeing of her 86-year-old grandmother who lives alone in the mountains of northern Tehran, not far from where Israeli strikes targeted Evin Prison on Monday morning.
“I think this morning must have been absolutely terrifying. I’m sure that she got woken up to the sound of the attack,” she said.
Ms Yousefizadeh moved to Ireland from Iran 22 years ago. She lives in Dublin and works in the IT sector.
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As one of many young Iranians who emigrated, Ms Yousefizadeh said knowing her grandparents are “left in this war zone without any support and anyone to take care of them, because their kids left to seek opportunities elsewhere is “the saddest part”.
For Ms Yousefizadeh, one of the main concerns “is that Iran does not have bomb shelters for everyone and there are no sirens or warnings to let people know of an upcoming attack”.
Her friend Sarah* (37), who did not feel safe using her real name, also lives in Dublin. Sarah has not heard anything from her family in Tehran for five days.
“I lost my mum in Covid time, and couldn’t go see her for her funeral. Now I’m fearing for my dad, for my brother, for my nieces and nephews, and for my sister.
“If anything happened to them I don’t know how I will survive here,” she said.
“I think the most difficult part is us not knowing what’s happening there. I’m constantly checking on the map to see if they’re hitting near their houses ... I can’t really function.”
Aida Younesi (31) has not heard from her brother Ali (25) who she said was “forcibly abducted” last Wednesday from the infamous Evin Prison. Ms Younesi’s family still have no idea of his whereabouts.
News of Israeli strikes on the prison on Monday has heightened concern for her brother’s safety.
“Even in the normal situation not hearing from your loved ones in prison for six days is stressful, on top of that this attack and the whole non-transparency ... the worries from my side, from the family’s side is killing me,” she said.
Over a phone call from Iran on Monday morning with her mother, Ms Youseni heard an update on her father, Mir-Yousef, who is also imprisoned at Evin. “He is really stressed but he is okay.”
Mansoureh Behkish, a prominent Iranian human rights activist living in Dublin, has several immediate family members in Tehran, including her daughter, brother and sister.
Ms Behkish made contact with her daughter on Monday.
Speaking of the strikes on Evin Prison, she said “several prisoners have been injured and we are deeply worried about their safety”.
“The women’s ward, the prison gate, the nearby buildings have been damaged. Families of prisoners have gathered outside but they have only been met violence and threats.”
Ms Behkish called “for an immediate ceasefire and an end to this criminal war” and the release of political prisoners.
Dr Roja Fazaeli, an Iranian academic and professor of law and Islamic studies at University of Galway, said “there is a lot of worry among the Iranian diaspora” who are facing uncertainty about their families’ safety.
Ms Fazaeli has extended family members in Tehran who contact was limited with for a period “a couple of days ago” when the internet was down.
Most recently, she has been “hearing different stories of people staying where they are because they don’t have the choice to move”, while many others have fled Tehran and “gone to different parts of the country”.
“The wellbeing of both human rights defenders and political prisoners” is of concern to Ms Fazaeli, who recalls the 1988 mass execution of Iranian political prisoners.
“We hope nothing like that will ever happen again. The rise in the number of executions in the past few days is worrying.”
