Osnabrück, Germany —
Niki Nikbakht comes from a close-knit family. She fondly flicks through photos of her two elder brothers, Hadi and Fazlollah, at her home in Osnabrück, northwest Germany.
In one photo, Hadi grins back at her as he embraces his two sons. He also has a 5-month-old daughter who’s never met her father. He’s been imprisoned since before she was born, sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“I keep thinking, what if it really happens? What if I never get to see my two brothers again?” says Nikbakht, fighting back tears. “But then I tell myself, ‘Niki, you have to keep going. Keep fighting. Stay strong….