Escape from regime
Well-known Iranian human rights activist fled to Canada
The death of the young Iranian Mahsa Amini in September 2022 sparked protests across the country – in the forefront: women. (Symbolic image) photo
© Uncredited/AP/dpa
Atena Daemi, among other things, campaigns against the death penalty – she was sentenced to prison in 2015. The Iranian woman writes from exile: Her conscience has been tormenting her since the day she fled.
According to her own statements, one of the most famous Iranian human rights activists is… fled Canada. Atena Daemi described her journey out of Iran on the X platform (formerly Twitter). The activist is known for her criticism of the death penalty in the Islamic Republic. Until early 2022, Daemi had been imprisoned for years.
When the nationwide protests broke out in autumn 2022 against the repressive policies of the state leadership, Daemi was said to be worried about being arrested again. That’s why she initially went into hiding. Her health also deteriorated after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Daemi finally crossed the border into neighboring Iraq into the Kurdistan region with her older sister. Then she applied for asylum in Canada.
Sentenced to 14 years in prison
“Since the day I left Iran, the sadness and torment of my conscience have not left me for a moment,” Daemi wrote on
The 35-year-old activist was released from prison at the beginning of 2022. A revolutionary court sentenced her to 14 years in prison in 2015. The sentence was later reduced to seven years. Daemi has since been released on bail. She also went on hunger strike in the infamous Ewin Prison.