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The Fifth Floor

Factual: Life Stories

Global stories from the BBC’s 40 Language Services, with Faranak Amidi

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

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The Fifth Floor: Defending against the death penalty

Documentaries

Women hold up signs depicting the image of Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of Iranian authorities

14/04/2023 GMT

Defending against the death penalty

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Defending against the death penalty

The independent lawyers in Iran trying to save protesters

The independent lawyers in Iran trying to save protesters.

Since anti-government protests erupted in Iran following the death in police custody last September of Mahsa Amini, at least 30,000 people have been arrested. While most have been released on bail, it's reported that more than a hundred have been sentenced to death or charged with capital offences. BBC Persian's Firouzeh Akbarian tells us about the lawyers who are trying to stop more executions as well as free people from detention. 

A haunted forest in Serbia's 'Siberia' 
The Pešter Plateau in south west Serbia is nicknamed Serbia's Siberia because of its long cold winters, which often leave villages cut off by snow. Its extensive grasslands are used for raising sheep and cattle, but Sandra Maksimovic of BBC Serbian discovered an unusual forest which has survived through the centuries, because - according to legend - it's haunted.

The Indian communities where women inherit
In India's north-eastern state of Meghalaya, many families still follow an age-old system of inheritance, where children take the mother's surname and the ancestral property goes to the youngest daughter. BBC Marathi's Mayuresh Konnur visited Meghalaya and discovered the pressure that modern life is putting on this matrilineal tradition. 

My father's story - and my country's
In 2018, BBC Uzbek journalist Ibrat Safo began recording stories told by his father, Ozod. They were family memories but also revealed a lot about the history of Uzbekistan in the 20th century. When Ozod died earlier this year, Ibrat decided to share some of those 'Dad tapes'.

(Photo: Women hold up signs depicting the image of Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of Iranian authorities. Credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP via Getty Images)

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