'We have been cut off': UCC student fears for family amid Iran crackdown

UCC medical student Shadi Mahjoum describes fear, helplessness and heartbreak as Iran’s internet shutdown silences families

UCC medical student Shadi Mahjoum said: 'I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had but those people who lost their lives in Iran could have been me.' Picture: Larry Cummins 

Since an internet blackout was imposed in Iran on January 8, Shadi Mahjoum, a medical student at University College Cork, has been robbed of any contact with her family.

The 28-year-old is heartbroken at being denied the comfort of her mother’s voice as part of efforts to veil the country’s “murderous regime”.