Emad Tayefeh is a thirty-year-old, award-winning Iranian filmmaker and animator who, after many years of persecution for his political and human rights activities, fled his country several days ago under the nose of Iranian intelligence. Emad comes from an educated, liberal, democratic family that has been active in trying to build a secular democracy in Iran since the 1979 revolution. Many members of his family have faced physical threats, dismissal from their jobs and other forms of state sanction due to their views and activities, yet they've continued to be outspoken opponents of the regime. Emad grew up inspired by his family’s example and shared their views. In 2009, the year of the Green Revolution, Emad was studying visual arts at Shomal University, one of the top schools in Iran. He was also active as an observer of elections, speaking out to prevent electoral fraud. These relatively innocuous activities aroused the ire of the infamous Basiji, Iran’s harsh, volunteer internal security service that's often tasked with breaking up political activity and surveilling dissidents. The Basiji first surveilled Emad and his colleagues, then attacked and beat them severely.

 From then on, Emad’s life in Iran became an incessant nightmare: unable to continue his studies in peace, he frequently had to go into hiding to avoid roving gangs of Basiji. His participation in the Green Movement put his entire family under a microscope, assuring multiple assaults on and searches of not only Emad but of his other family members. Worse, he and his family were detained for their activities and faced the horrors of Iran’s prison system, including Evin, where brutality, beatings, and torture have forced many a dissident into signing false confessions and denounce their activities. Emad nonetheless persisted in his activism and, further, did volunteer human rights work for political prisoners – including one of his cousins, who was sentenced to death, eventually was released and made his way to the United States.

 His mere support of his cousin and of peaceful protests outside Evin Prison and in other public places led to yet more violence against Emad and his family. Although he managed to graduate from his university, he was dismissed from his Master's program and fired from his job. Emad was also actively involved in “Eshgh” (Love), the organization of his mentor, a famous human rights activist named Mohammed Nourizad. As danger built to an ever-higher pitch, Mr. Nourizad asked Emad to make a documentary on the human rights movement in Iran. Multiple initial attempts to make such a film were thwarted by the government, but in 2015, Emad finally decided to take the risk of quickly filming the documentary while also searching for a way to leave the country. At the same time, he continued making other short films and animations, some of which were featured at international festivals and won prizes. One of the prizes was participation in the Teheran film festival - which Emad couldn't attend because he was in hiding.

Emad retained a Western attorney through Advancing Human Rights and its social media platform, Movements.org, and documented his journey as his attempts to make the film landed him in trouble, including two gruesome attacks where he was severely injured. By dint of modern technology, the attorney was able to see the extent of that damage.

The assaults left Emad injured, and the stress of the six years of repeated torture and detentions took a toll on his health, leaving him with a heart condition at the age of 29. Still, Emad did not give up and successfully completed the film in the summer of 2015. After various leads to escape turned out to be dead ends or potentially perilous, Emad finally fled toward Turkey through a circuitous route that took him to assorted Iranian border towns with almost no money and forced him to sleep in the jungle in isolation. When he could, he hid at night in village streets while listening to howling of wolves in pitch darkness, always aware that intelligence services were in pursuit and that he was a breath away from being arrested and probably killed.

 In early August, he managed to bribe border patrol officials and made his way into Turkey – amazingly, smuggling out his precious film on his laptop. He has already received news of an exciting professional opportunity to produce and distribute this film provided he can come to the United States and edit it as needed.  As of today he awaits his fate in Istanbul, penniless, knowing no Turkish language, with stress-related health issues, and in need of treatment for his torture-inflicted injuries. His life continues to remain in danger. He has received a "private" phone call on his cell phone consistent with the pattern of calls IRGC makes to intimidate dissidents abroad, and has had to change sim cards and flee his location.

His goal is to lead a normal life, finish his education and continue his promising career in film.

Emad can only legally stay in Turkey for another 18 days. I am asking you to call your elected officials, the State Department, human rights activists and NGOs, and the media to get Emad's story the attention it deserves and to help bring him to safety in the United States.