I support survivors of Iran's regime. When headlines fade, the trauma will remain

Over the past three years, since the Woman, Life, Freedom movement swept the country following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the hands of the so-called “morality police”, Freedom from Torture has supported more survivors from Iran than any other country.

In late December 2025, a new wave of uprisings swept across Iran. People took to the streets to demand basic human rights, risking their lives to stand up to decades of state violence. The world has watched in horror as protesters have been shot and families search desperately for loved ones among hundreds of body bags. Tens of thousands of people, including children, have been detained across the country.

Despite communication blackouts, reports continue to emerge of those in custody being subjected to torture, including beatings, sexual violence and threats of execution. The true death toll remains unknown.

The internet and telephone shutdown across the country has helped the Iranian regime keep evidence of atrocities under wraps, but harrowing footage and testimony are still reaching the outside world. Many of the Iranian survivors we support are desperate for news of their loved ones back home.

We know only too well how moments like this can reopen old wounds. Since the crackdown began, survivors have been coming to us with heightened distress, low mood, and overwhelming feelings of helplessness and despair. Former Iranian survivors I have supported in the past are reaching out again, as the recent events have exacerbated symptoms like anxiety and depression, dredging up traumatic memories. But sadly, we cannot support everyone.

The exiled Iranian survivors I have sat with carry profound guilt for being in the UK, as the people they know and love back home put their lives on the line to stand up against the regime. Survivors know better than anyone what the authorities are capable of – they carry the scars to prove it.

I cannot overstate the impact this moment has on people who this regime has tortured. Amid the fear, guilt and helplessness, many feel it is almost wrong to care for themselves while so many others are suffering.

With no way to reach loved ones directly, many seek information through social media, searching for fragments of news amid deepening fears for their safety. But in doing so, they are exposed to graphic and distressing images that can be deeply triggering – reminding them of the abuse they themselves endured at the hands of the regime.

Many describe how difficult it is to step away from this content, often driven by guilt that makes it hard to prioritise their own wellbeing. And yet, even in the midst of this psychological suffering, survivors show remarkable resilience. Their quiet courage is a source of strength not only to other survivors but also to the clinicians who bear witness to their resolve on the long journey to recovery.

To sit with survivors is to understand that what is happening in Iran is not only a political and human rights crisis, but a profound and ongoing psychological one – whose consequences will endure long after the streets fall silent. As Iranians flee for their lives, many more will desperately need specialist support after everything they’ve been through, including years of torture. At Freedom from Torture, we see this reality every day. When the headlines fade, the trauma will remain, carried in bodies, memories and therapy rooms like mine.

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Natasha Smyth is the Clinical Adult Team Manager at Freedom from Torture’s London centre and a clinical psychologist who supports people healing from the trauma of torture.

Freedom from Torture is the only UK-wide charity that exists specifically to support people who have survived torture to recover and rebuild their lives. Together with survivors, we campaign against torture and for the rights of survivors seeking asylum in the UK.

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