I am an Iranian writer/author named Benyamin Abbasi Ghozhdi, who works under the name of Benyamin Abbasi. I was born in Mashhad in 1999 and became interested in literature and writing at the age of 15, starting to learn and practice. I have also written stories, articles, and a novel.
However, due to the widespread and systematic censorship in Iran, imposed by the government, I never decided to submit to censorship or publish my works in Iran. Instead, I used to share them within literary groups. Given the security atmosphere and government surveillance of society, this was a very difficult task, but I continued it because of my love for literature and writing. Even though I was underage, I was summoned several times to the security offices, and the conditions for my writing became more difficult every day.
In late 2017 and early 2018, with the onset of anti-government protests against Iran’s dictatorialregime, which began in Mashhad, I joined the protests like many others. Unfortunately, I was arrested, and after some time in detention and torture, I was released on bail. However, all my equipment and books were confiscated by the security agencies. Life after the arrest became highly monitored, and I was arrested several times without any reason. Each time, new accusations were brought against me, and I was threatened with death twice. Eventually, with the deprivation of all citizenship rights, such as being denied the right to establish a business and attend university, I was forced to leave my country against my will in mid-2018 and sought refuge in Turkey. I have no citizenship rights here either, and I live in isolation under the threat of deportation back to Iranin and security threats. Despite all these challenges, I am still able to write in a limited and difficult way and have published some of my works.
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