Husband-and-wife reunited in Sheffield after 30 years kept apart by repressive regimes

A husband-and-wife who were kept apart for 30 years, during which they were routinely tortured and beaten, are finally together again in Sheffield.
Amir Falahatpoor and MakeihShapouriAmir Falahatpoor and MakeihShapouri
Amir Falahatpoor and MakeihShapouri

Amir Falahatpoor and Makeih Shapouri met in their native Iran and had three children together before being torn apart by the repressive regimes they tried to oppose.

Amir was held as a political prisoner first under the Shah and then Ayatollah Khomeini, whom he and fellow activists had helped to oust the Shah in 1979.

Amir and Makeihhave thanked the charity SAVTE for proving to them there is kindness in the worldAmir and Makeihhave thanked the charity SAVTE for proving to them there is kindness in the world
Amir and Makeihhave thanked the charity SAVTE for proving to them there is kindness in the world
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When he and Makeih fled separately to Iraq they unknowingly ended up in the same refugee camp run by the Mujahedeen of the People opposition group, where men and women had no contact, for nearly 30 years.

They eventually escaped but when Amir came to Sheffield and Makeih was resettled in Sweden they imagined they would never again set eyes upon one another.

Three years after making it out of the camp, Makeih was amazed to find Amir on Facebook, and, following a tearful reunion two years ago, they are now living together in Crookes and trying to make the most of their second shot at happiness.

A one-to-one English lesson organised by SAVTEA one-to-one English lesson organised by SAVTE
A one-to-one English lesson organised by SAVTE

'Until I came here I believed that the forces that were in power in the world were all bad, and, believe me, the events in my life gave me good reason to think that,' said Amir.

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'But I see in Britain that the world has not been created for war, hate and greed.

'I am determined to do something with my life in Sheffield and create a positive, active life for Makeih and myself for the years we have left together.'

SAVTE already has almost 100 volunteers teaching English but is seeking more to meet the demandSAVTE already has almost 100 volunteers teaching English but is seeking more to meet the demand
SAVTE already has almost 100 volunteers teaching English but is seeking more to meet the demand

Amir and Makeih, both aged 59, are being supported by Sheffield Association for the Voluntary Teaching of English (SAVTE) to build their new life together in the city.

They were directed to the charity by the New Beginnings Project, based at The Circle on Rockingham Lane, in Sheffield city centre.

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SAVTE teamed them up with Bob and Annette, who have been helping the couple learn English at home so they can get more involved with the world on their doorstep.

'Now I want to be able to speak to my neighbours,' said Amir, who was studying to be a vet before travelling to England.

'I'm working on my driving licence. I'd love to be able to take Makeih to other places. Because of our past it isn't good for us to stay in our house all the time. Bob helped us to go to Glasgow on the train to visit relatives. It was quite an adventure!

'Apart from teaching us English, Bob and Annette have become really good friends. They have helped us to start a new season in our lives. We haven't seen such kindness before.

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'SAVTE and New Beginnings have played a big part in our lives.'

Amir became involved in politics as a boy, having been appalled by the inequality he witnessed under the Shah, and he was just 15 when he was first arrested and thrown in prison for five years - four of which he spent in solitary confinement.

'The revolution brought hope but in fact Khomeini was a thousand times worse than the Shah, although it was me and my friends that made it possible for him to take power. Within a year I found myself back in prison,' he said,

Amir escaped to Iraq in 1985 but found the Mujahedeen opposition group he ended up with no better than the oppressive regimes he had fled in Iran.

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'The Mujahedeen took 30 years of my life and that brought me to the conclusion that the whole world was full of lies and deceit,' he said.

Amir and Makeih both ended up at Camp Ashraf, where they were among about 5,000 Iranian refugees, and later Camp Liberty.

There, they faced frequent bombings and were both wounded in blasts which to this day cause them difficulties walking and standing.

They were also routinely tortured and beaten.

Makeih, who is also known as Mariam, recalls: 'At night, we had to sleep with our shoes and headscarf on and wore military uniforms. We imagined we might not see the morning and there was no hope in being alive. We saw many of our friends being killed before our eyes.

'We weren't allowed to show kindness. It was forbidden.

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'In the 30 years in the camp I received only two letters. Both times the envelopes were removed so I couldn't see the address. The first was to tell me my father had died and the second that my mother had died. I loved my father very much but I was forbidden to cry or to show any weakness.

'I had no contact with my children as they grew up. When I moved to the camp they were placed with an Iranian family. For 25 years I went to bed and woke up thinking of my children and imagining what they were like.

'Now they won't accept me. There is not the warmth that should exist between mother and child. The family who raised them were abusive but they learnt to blame me, their mother.'

The horrors of their years apart continue to haunt them but thanks to the kindness shown by Bob, Annette and others, Amir and Makeih are beginning to put those unimaginable hardships behind them.

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'Now that we are in Britain there is a sense of peace, although the nightmares don't abandon us,' said Makeih.

'There are many nights when I wake up in fear but then I remember that I am in a safe country and those things won't reoccur.'

SAVTE is a Sheffield-based charity, formed in 1974, which trains and supports volunteers to teach English to people in their homes and at conversation clubs in the community.

Its team of nearly 100 volunteers aim to reduce isolation by helping people develop their language skills and gain the confidence to integrate more fully into Sheffield life.

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They teach people from a multitude of backgrounds, from refugees and trafficking survivors to those with mental health conditions, all of whom would struggle to attend conventional English classes.

For more about SAVTE, which is seeking to recruit more volunteers to meet the growing demand, see savte.org.uk, visit The Circle on Rockingham Lane or call 0114 2536 644.