Iranian asylum seeker Mandana Daneshnia, whose mouth is sewn shut, sits with her daughter prior to a press conference in Athens on Oct. 18. A group of around 30 Iranian asylum seekers have been on hunger strike in Athens for weeks, and some have sewn their mouths shut to underscore their plight. Greece's embassy and consular buildings have stepped up security precautions following an attack threat allegedly linked to the group of Iranian asylum seekers, the Greek foreign ministry said.