Update from Iran: ‘Every aspect of life has been made impossible’

Iran has been rocked by weeks of protests, driven by economic collapse and political repression.

Human rights groups have reported thousands of deaths – though restrictions and an internet shutdown have made verification difficult.

British-Iranian journalist and researcher, Negar Esfandiary, says the killings are only just beginning.

"The crackdown has been huge, and continues... the full scale of everything is only emerging now."

Esfandiary says those who were part of the protests are now actively being sought out by authorities.

"They are charging them with 'warring with God', so that has nothing to do directly with the protests – so it's a way of bypassing... they're not being killed for protesting, but in fact, that's a death sentence."

She says many injured protesters were found and killed in hospitals or at doctors' homes, and even the doctors treating them are being arrested for helping these people who are standing up to the government.

Esfandiary explains that the collapsing economy was the final straw.

"It's every part of life, every aspect of life has been made impossible now... when people's life savings and actual salaries can't even make a week's groceries, the money is worthless."

She says it's really the last stages of this regime.

"There is no support, the support is minimal now in the country. The lifestyle they're left with affects absolutely everybody, there is no one that's not affected... the daily things like gas, electricity, water – the country is not running as it should."

To listen to Negar Esfandiary in conversation with Jane Dutton, in for CapeTalk and 702's Mandy Wiener, click the audio below: