Persecution of bereaved relatives. Impunity for perpetrators. Rampant executions and infighting among the opposition.

A bleak picture confronts opponents of Iran's clerical authorities two years after a protest movement erupted that they hoped would be a turning point in the four-and-a-half-decade history of the Islamic republic.

Activists and exiles still hope that the protests sparked by the September 16, 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini — an Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly violating the dress code for women — left an indelible mark on Iran and that her tragic death aged 22 was not in vain.