Iranians after the crackdown on protests: Nobody cares about us'

"Fear and a profound sense of abandonment are the prevailing feelings among Iranians after the massive demonstrations that, in recent weeks, have shaken the Islamic Republic and been brutally suppressed by the authorities. Fear of what has been seen and experienced, and of the possible reprisals against those who spoke out. And abandonment by the international community especially by U.S. President Donald Trump, who until just recently was urging Iranians to keep protesting and promising that help was on the way."

"Her heels echo through the hotel lobby every time the woman gets up from the table where she sits, in a secluded corner, alongside two men in dark suits. She, too, is dressed in black, her head covered by a light veil that leaves the front of her hair visible, and she issues orders over the phone in Turkish and Persian."

"This hotel, like many others in the city, has become a refuge for Iranians who have recently fled their homeland. They are in Turkey to catch international flights suspended from Iranian territory to connect to the internet cut off by the ayatollahs' regime, or to flee repression. And they are afraid. When they do speak, they recount what they experienced in whispers, glancing around warily, suspicious of who might be listening. Iranian dissidents have previously been abducted on Turkish soil."

Fear and a profound sense of abandonment pervade Iranian society after mass demonstrations were brutally suppressed by authorities. People fear what they witnessed and possible reprisals against those who spoke out. Many perceive abandonment by the international community, particularly by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had urged protests and promised help. Cities near the Turkish border, especially Van, have become refuges for Iranians fleeing repression, seeking international flights suspended from Iran, or trying to reconnect amid internet shutdowns. Refugees speak in whispers, wary of listeners, citing past abductions of dissidents on Turkish soil. Consular officials report that calm has returned, enforced by military means.

Read at english.elpais.com