I never imagined I would have to write this, but here I am: After 17 years of a complicated life in exile in Germany, I am now facing the real risk of losing my home and being arrested because of an unpaid court fine (790 Euro for an “insult” in a WhatsApp message; Danke Deutschland!)

My bank balance is zero. I have no access to credit or loans after multiple years of being effectively debanked. My documents are expired, which has left me in a state of near-total paralysis in dealing with everyday life and bureaucracy.

This is not a sudden crisis that appeared out of nowhere. The root cause of the last several years of cascading problems and downward spirals was a profound betrayal: someone I trusted for years as a friend stole my entire life savings, the result of a decade of careful work and sacrifice, in a single transaction and disappeared. That person is now living comfortably in Los Angeles, California, while I have been left financially ruined. The legal case has been proceeding, but due to my severe financial limitations I have not been able to secure an international arrest warrant yet. The matter is complex, involves multiple jurisdictions, and remains ongoing. Because of the sensitivity of the issue and the fact that the person involved may be monitoring my online activity, I cannot share more details publicly at this time. I remain hopeful that justice will eventually be done, and I would welcome contact from specialists in cybercrime or financial crime laws who might be able to help (my DMs on Twitter/X are open: @Ehsanism)

Right now the immediate threats are very concrete:

I am asking for help to cover these emergency costs so I can avoid the worst outcomes and buy enough time to rebuild.

If you can help with any amount, it will make a real difference.

Since my documents are expired, I had to ask my dear friend, Erfan Foroughi, to launch this campaign under his name.

Thank you for reading this far. Despite all these complexities, I still feel the pull of life and the desire to keep going. Your support would mean more than I can properly express. Any share of this campaign also helps.

Hugs from Berlin,

Ehsan