You must pass unknown sites, delve into the labyrinth of the web, cross virtual secret passages in order to be able to communicate with these anonymous heroines. They make the heart beat unprecedented uprising in Iran, a movement that is currently causing the Islamic Republic, which has been in power since 1979, to tremble. They also have many men on their side who take all sorts of risks, sometimes risking their own lives. According to a grim NGO report Iran Human RightsSince the beginning of the year, 35 people have been executed (often by hanging) by the mullah regime.

On the other end of the line, she speaks serenely. Tarane (a fake name used for her testimony) is 21 years old. This girl lives at her parents’ house in Hamadan, one of the coldest cities in western Iran, where she is studying for university entrance exams. The student describes the feeling of anger and helplessness she experienced when she found out about the fate Mahsa Amini, his now infamous 22-year-old compatriot., who died in detention on September 16 after being arrested for wearing “obscene” clothes. Another disgrace of the pasdaran, contributing to the ignition of the spirit of the Iranians. Like them, Tarane expresses his anger on his Twitter account. Post messages critical of the regime. A few days later, the Secret Service called her on her cell phone. His general features are declining. “You insulted the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei, ed.) and spread false news,” they say. Members of this paramilitary organization order her to delete the posts in question. “Otherwise, the case will go to court,” they threaten. Tarane executes … and a month later he again begins to condemn the hypocrisy of the system in social networks. Why should he abide by their rules? The regime banned the use of social networkswhile the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most prominent authority in the country, has various accounts in different languages ​​that he uses to spread propaganda messages.

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For the first time in my young life, Tarane decides to leave the house without a hijab. “In doing so, I feel like I am protesting. I am happy to support the revolution in this way,” she explains. So the girl discovers a pleasant feeling of wind in her hair. “It has become a pleasure, although now that it is winter, the cold is freezing my ears,” she says.

For the past four months, she has been spending 90 percent of her time without a veil. “The remaining 10 percent is the time I spend with my father,” he notes. “There are two Islamic republics: one in government, the other at home. Most of us fight on two fronts: political and social, but also family. We have different views than our parents.” However, even his father changed his mind. After a fervent religious youth, he is now against the Islamic Republic. He no longer prays and has no more friends among the mullahs. If she wants her daughter to wear a veil, it is primarily because of the mixture of modesty and conservatism characteristic of her generation.

Tarane can no longer bear this pressure. On the Internet, he discovered freedom: “Thanks to the applications, people of my age have friends all over the world. We can see how they live… and wish for it.”

A desire that makes her fight in her own way. Three months ago, together with a friend, she decided to write an insurgency slogan on the wall of a girls’ high school in her town. Armed with spray paint, she traces these words: Zan (woman in Persian), Zendegi (life)… As she prepares to write Azadi (freedom), a pasdaran appears. “He was a short guy,” she recalls. The man begins to swear, snatches the can from her hands and hits her friend in the face, breaking several of her teeth. Tarane kicks him in the stomach, and he suffocates. The two friends manage to escape in a rain of insults.

Though her parents and family are worried, Taraneh occasionally participates in demonstrations in Hamadan. The ritual is the same every time. A student tries to make herself unrecognizable by covering her face with an anti-covid mask, great for breathing through tear gas. He dresses like he’s going to class. Always carry textbooks in your backpack. A lighter in her pocket to burn the plastic handcuffs she might have been put into if she were arrested. Tarane also carries cash with her, and leaves her credit card and smartphone at home: in the event of an arrest, her contacts may also suffer. He always has an old mobile phone with a different SIM card with him so that he can contact his family if necessary. He counts on his legs to run if need be. And at every training camp she tries to surround herself with male friends. “I’m not afraid to be beaten or killed”, she explains. “My biggest fear is rape.” Why take all these risks? “It’s my duty to participate in this movement. Freedom is very important. Those who are now in the underground fought for us. I can’t go back to my old life. It would be a shame if I did not give my vote to these dead.” He says of the anonymous fighters he admires: “They were very brave. I thought they did it out of compassion, but they really believed strongly in the fight for gender equality and freedom.”

Taraneh was deeply shocked by the death of Majidreza Rahnavard, whose last words were leaked on Twitter. During the public hanging, the young man nevertheless found the strength to challenge the regime and inspire courage in his compatriots: “Do not read the Koran, do not pray on my grave. Be happy and play fun music.”

His courage has increased the girl’s courage, even if sometimes it breaks. “That’s all we’re talking about. We don’t think about anything else. People are sick. We are all traumatized. What reminds us of freedom oppresses us,” sighs Tarane. She says she was moved to see a man on the street making birds fly. “We just want the freedom to wear a veil or not.. Dress how we like. Hanging out with boys, going to concerts together, driving without risking getting sued.” Life of free women.