Today, September 27, marks the 45th anniversary of the execution of my older brother, Hossein, who was shot by firing squad alongside 56 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq. An aerospace engineer educated in the United States, a prolific writer, and a gifted editor, Hossein had so much more to contribute. Arrested in July 1981, he was taken to Evin Prison and subjected to brutal torture. When his captors pressed him to renounce his beliefs, he responded with a question that has remained with me ever since: “What would I do with my conscience?” Forty-five years have passed, yet the pain of losing him endures. I grieve not only for the brother I lost, but also for the years we were denied together and for all that he might have written, built, and become. Some absences transcend time. Yet his life continues to inspire and sustain me. At just 29, facing unimaginable cruelty, Hossein remained faithful to the convictions that gave meaning to his life. His courage still strengthens my resolve to help realize the free, democratic, and humane Iran he never lived to see. My dear Hossein, I wish you were here today to witness what you and so many others gave your lives for: a Resistance now closer than ever to realizing the cause it embraced more than six decades ago, the liberation of Iran from two successive dictatorships, first the Shah's and now the ruling theocracy's. I carry your memory through every year that was stolen from you, and your question continues to guide my life. Rest in honor, Bro. You are remembered, you are missed, and your dream lives on in the hearts of countless Iranians who continue the struggle for freedom.🌹