WARNING: Some readers may find the details of this story offensive. Discretion is recommended.
A 30-year-old Iranian citizen, Saman has been blind in one eye for the rest of his life.
“He shot me in the face from up close and I lost my left eye permanently,” he told Global News.
On October 1, 2022, an Islamic Republic security official stood just 10 feet away from him, lifted a gun and fired a rubber bullet, striking Saman in his left eye, according to Global News, who did not reveal his surname. His last name is not disclosed due to security concerns.
He said regime officers aimed at his face, recognizing him as one of the activists who used to go to Tehran’s Vali Asr Square nightly to protest against the Iranian government.
“I have teeth, skull and brain damage,” he added.
Iranian doctors say Saman is one of hundreds of victims who have been badly injured by security forces since mid-September.
Speaking via Zoom from an undisclosed location outside Iran, Saman said he drove to several hospitals, clutching his severed eye.
He said most hospitals refused to treat him, given the risks medical workers face treating demonstrators.
Finally, a doctor agreed to perform a quick operation on him. He said his nurse told him the authorities were looking for him and in just hours he was able to escape, leaving behind his life, family, home and his job. I made it
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Canadian doctor warns Iranian health workers are being targeted by regime
Mr. Saman is now in hiding from the regime and said his life was still in danger.
“They are following me everywhere and I think they want to kill me,” he said.
B.C. Residents Try to Help Saman
Saman’s story compelled Mahi Etominan, a Vancouver registered nurse at the BC Cancer Foundation, her brother Dr. Maher Etominan, who works at an eye care center, and UBC’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the School of Medicine, to reach out for help. I was.
Mahi also works with a plastic surgeon who is willing to perform surgery on Saman for free.
She is in daily phone contact with Saman and is determined to do whatever she can to help him.
Mahi and Mahyar are trying to bring Saman to Canada for humanitarian reasons, but the application process has been difficult.
“For someone like Saman, it becomes very clear that when lives are in danger and you have to change places every day, there are many obstacles to getting to a safe place,” Mahi told Global News. rice field.
“I would like to ask our immigration system what they can do for someone like Saman.”
Saman needs five sponsors, but must first be approved as a sponsor by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), said an immigration attorney at Vancouver-based Edelman & Co. Erica Olmsted said.
“Without it[UNHCR]no matter how sympathetic the situation is, the application will come to a complete halt,” Olmsted said.
Mahi and Saman said the problem was they had to submit the paperwork for UNHCR approval. Doing so could expose his whereabouts to the Islamic Republic, which is reportedly targeting him.
“If they appeal to the United Nations or national governments, information will be shared with their host country, Iran, which could put their lives at risk. There is a problem with the process of requesting to obtain ,” Olmsted added.
She said that is a threshold that must be met to even be considered eligible for sponsorship. She added that those groups would have a cap on the number of sponsors and would need proof of sufficient funding to do so.The first year of supporting an individual.
In October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the First Human Chain of Freedom to support freedom fighters in Iran. During the rally, Trudeau called the Islamic Republic “a brutal regime that does not represent the beautiful Iranian people, does not represent the Iranian spirit.”
Mahi thanked the Canadian government for its verbal support to the Iranian revolutionary movement and Iranian demonstrators, but said “action is needed at this time.”
Dozens of Iranian-Canadians told Global News they welcomed the same policies that were done to Ukrainian refugees against Iranians like Saman who are in need of a safe place.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada wrote in an email reply: We are actively monitoring the situation and working with our international partners to determine how Canada can help. Although there are often similarities in terms of fleeing, immigration responses can differ. “
Olmsted said what the government did for Ukrainian refugees was exceptional.
“They actually qualified everyone for work permits to come here. It was a very quick process to get here on a temporary status for two or three years.” she said. “No other country produces refugees given such a program.”
Olmsted added that all other refugee options are the overseas refugee resettlement process, which can take two to three years or longer before the person finally reaches Canada. In that case, the federal government could grant a waiver based on the circumstances, with Saman’s support in Canada, she said.
Time is not on Saman’s side.
His health is deteriorating and he needs immediate medical attention as his eyes are getting smaller and he needs implants. He said it was just saving the physical structure.
“We have been in contact with him,” Mahi said. We looked at ways to raise funds for
GoFundMe does not accept Saman’s case due to US sanctions against Iranians, but fundraising site GiveSendGo accepts donations for Saman’s medical and legal fees.
Saman said he dreams of returning to Iran but is unable to do so for obvious reasons.
He wants people to know that what is happening in Iran is not a protest against the hijab, but a “revolution.” This is not a protest; No need to edit the government system. “
Saman said the Islamic Republic was a threat to the world and wanted its people to lead normal lives.
“Iranians are kind people. They deserve real life. This is not life. This is torture,” Saman said.
