The expat, who declined to be named, left Iran for New Zealand about nine months ago to continue his doctorate studies.
He said the situation at home had been so brutal he could not live there any longer.
"Islamic Republic is not there to govern Iran. It’s there to destroy Iran. It’s there to destroy Iran and spread radical Islamism."
The expat said he wanted to start a PhD in New Zealand to get expertise in species distribution modelling so he could work on "registering the oak forests in my country that have been really destroyed by Islamic Republic environmental policies".
"So that was my main motivation.
"But like any other Iranian student, I can’t ignore the fact that one of the main motivations would be just leaving the country so we can escape from the Islamic Republic and the brutal situation that is there."
When he departed Iran for New Zealand, he had to "sell everything" he owned, but he tried as best he could to keep up with events in his home country, largely through his family.
"In my hometown [Ilam], security forces have gone further by raiding a hospital to arrest and intimidate wounded protesters — a grave escalation that violates basic humanitarian norms and has instilled fear across the community. Families are now afraid to seek medical help for injured relatives.
"These are not abstract developments. Lives are being lost, and silence enables further violence."
On Monday, The Guardian reported escalating protests sparked by economic chaos had resulted in at least 20 people being killed and nearly 1000 arrested, while the regime’s "indiscriminate" targeting had led to three children being killed.
"I can’t bear to think about the little girls," the expat said.
The difficulty for Iranians was that virtually all opposition commentary was being suppressed, he said.
"If you say, ‘I’m an atheist’, they’re going to kill you. If you say, ‘I wasn’t a Muslim, but I turned to Christianity’, they’re going to kill you.
"If you tell something to some minor authority that criticises them slightly, they’re going to put you in jail."
The expat said recent events such as the US government’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro actually gave him some hope, because he felt this could send a message to Islamic Republic.
But he said he had a "simple request".
"We only want the West to put more sanctions on the Islamic Republic. I know that puts pressure on Iranians, like economically and stuff, but that also puts pressure on the Islamic Republic.
"At this point, we know and understand that a military removal of the Islamic regime is not ideal."
He was hopeful, despite the brutality of the oppression, that Islamic Republic’s time in Iran could come to an end.
"They can’t govern. They only can oppress.
"They want women to wear the hijab, but they can’t because people defeated them in the streets. There is nothing that much left from Islamic regime."
He was also keen to see the return of Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, who had supported the protest movements and was leading a movement in favour of a constitutional democratic monarchy.
