When actress Marall Nasiri accepted a Guldbagge for Best Actress in 2024, she adorned her torso and arms with the names of 71 political prisoners. As a baby, she was in the infamous Evin Prison with her mother, where prisoners went on a hunger strike so that she wouldn't die.
After attacks by Israel and the US on Iran, she hopes that all political prisoners will be released.
"There are, among other things, the political forces in Iran. I follow it very closely, but there are different reports," Nasiri says, describing the conflicting information as very stressful.
Her aunt was in Evin Prison for nine years.
"Now there is talk that the prisoners have been moved to another location, but also that they have been left to their fate, without food or anything."
"Nothing must happen to them."
"Giant"
She also calls for news reporting with more voices from within the country. The freedom movement is “giant” but not one but many, she emphasizes.
But they are "fed up" with this regime, you could say; they don't want to live under the regime's violence anymore.
She herself lives with the ongoing war around the clock and is worried, among other things, about what is happening with healthcare - her aunt has been diagnosed with cancer - but also about political developments.
What I fear is that this regime will reorganize itself and find a way to stay in power. Right now I am very worried; war is not something I cheer about, no matter how it is justified.
TV personality Daniel Paris also feels worried, but at the same time dreams of a free Iran.
"The internet is down. I'm trying to live as usual, hang out with my parents and do 'normal and fun things' to think about other things. But it catches up with you, of course," he writes to TT.
Busy exile
He praises the courage of the Iranian people – so does actor and director Bahar Pars, who was ten years old when she came to Sweden with her mother. Now she hopes that the people of Iran can unite.
On Saturday, she was in contact with her aunt in Iran via a Greek phone number:
She said, "We're fine, we're okay," says Bahar Pars, who is currently finding exile difficult.
Many people might think that it's actually nice not to be there, but that's not the case. You become very alone with your thoughts and feelings. Among Iranians, there's a lot of trauma that comes up. It doesn't create any consensus about how we can move forward.
