Ep. 262: Escaping Iran

Ep. 262: Escaping Iran

From So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast by FIRE

January 22, 2026 · 1h 8m · Episode 262

About this episode

The episode features an interview with Pouya Nikmand, who discusses his escape from Iran and the implications of living under an authoritarian regime.

Recent protests in Iran have drawn renewed attention to dissent under the country's authoritarian government. The demonstrations have been met with mass arrests, internet restrictions, and even accusations of murder. While large-scale demonstrations appear to have subsided for now, reporting from Iran describes a tense calm, a heightened security presence, and widespread "disappointment and disillusionment" among Iranians. Today we are joined by Pouya Nikmand, an Iranian-born writer who escaped Iran at 18. He writes about how his experiences have shaped his understanding of expression, freedom, and belonging on his Substack, Outliving Iran . Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:17 What's happening in Iran now? 10:47 What does life look like under an authoritarian regime? 20:33 Growing up in Iran 24:48 The influence of Western media in Iran 32:55 Escaping Iran 37:05 Life after escape 40:55 Being trafficked to Poland 54:45 Escaping captivity and coming to America 01:01:53 An immigrant's perspective on US immigration 1:07:24 Outro Read the transcript here. Enjoy listening to the podcast? Donate to FIRE today and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you…

People in this episode

Guest: Pouya Nikmand

Topics covered

  • Iran protests
  • authoritarianism
  • freedom of expression
  • immigration
  • personal narrative

Keywords

  • Iran
  • protests
  • authoritarian government
  • freedom
  • immigration
  • personal story
  • dissent

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FIRE

Places: Iran, Poland, America

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