— Arbil (Iraq) (AFP)
Like other Iranian Kurds who fled into exile during last year's women-led mass protests, 17-year-old Sarina tries to keep a low profile in her new home in northern Iraq.
She avoids drawing attention in her waitress job and hides her face behind a Covid mask when she walks the streets of Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The teenager -- who asked not to be fully identified citing security fears -- was among the thousands who joined the wave of street protests sparked by the September death of Mahsa Amini.
Anger flared after the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian died in morality police custody after her arrest for allegedly flouting the strict Islamic dress code for women.
