CNN
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A black-clad Iranian woman stands on prime of an overturned rubbish bin, waving her scarf as it’s engulfed by flames, amid chants of “loss of life to the dictator.”
A second later, video reveals, she crouches to gather one other scarf, from a pal, which she will even set on fireplace in entrance of the protesters.
The woman was 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami, from Tehran. Just a few hours after these scenes have been recorded on September 20, in movies solely obtained and verified by CNN, Nika went lacking. And a couple of week later, her household discovered that she was lifeless.
Iranian authorities claimed Nika’s physique was discovered in the back of a courtyard on the morning of September 21. Her mom wasn’t given entry to determine her till 8 days later. CCTV footage launched by the authorities timestamped simply after midnight as September 20 grew to become September 21 confirmed the determine of a masked particular person they mentioned was Nika coming into a constructing that was uninhabited, and nonetheless underneath development in Tehran.
A Tehran prosecutor initially mentioned she died after being thrown from the constructing’s roof, and that her loss of life “had no connection to the protests” of that day, however regardless of apparently declaring her loss of life a murder, he didn’t say whether or not there have been suspects underneath investigation. State broadcasters reported that she “fell,” however didn’t present proof to help the declare it was an accident.
On Wednesday, after CNN requested the federal government to touch upon the proof on this investigation, an Iranian media report quoted a Tehran prosecutor as saying that Nika’s loss of life was a suicide. Iranian authorities nonetheless haven’t responded to CNN’s repeated inquiries about Nika’s loss of life.
Authorities by no means defined why Nika would enter that constructing on her personal, and Nika’s mom has mentioned she doesn’t consider the masked particular person is Nika. Her mom has mentioned she believes Nika was killed by the authorities, however the authorities have by no means mentioned whether or not Nika was of their custody at any level.
However dozens of movies and eyewitness accounts obtained solely by CNN point out that Nika seems to have been chased and detained by Iranian safety forces that night time. One key eyewitness, Ladan, informed CNN she noticed Nika being taken into custody on the protest by “a number of large-bodied plainclothes safety officers” who bundled her right into a automobile.
Moments earlier, this witness, whereas caught in Tehran visitors, filmed a video that purportedly reveals Shahkarami ducking behind a white automobile and yelling “tekoon nakon, tekoon nakon” – which suggests “don’t transfer, don’t transfer” – to its driver earlier than operating away from the temporary shelter it gave her.
Seven individuals who knew Nika and spoke to CNN confirmed it was her. The identical footage, filmed at 8.37 p.m. on September 20, additionally reveals anti-riot police on bikes, patrolling the world.
“I needed to save lots of her, however I couldn’t,” mentioned Ladan. “There have been about 20 or 30 Basijis on bikes on the sidewalk,” she mentioned, utilizing the native identify for the paramilitary group that has been on the forefront of the state’s crackdown on protesters.
”Shahkarami was throwing rocks at them. I used to be scared and I even went previous her and mentioned, ‘Watch out expensive!’ as a result of there have been plenty of plainclothes police within the streets going by way of the vehicles searching for her.
“Fifty meters forward they obtained her,” Ladan added.
Ladan got here ahead to CNN after realising that {the teenager} she had filmed and spoken to was the one whose loss of life had been reported days later. CNN solely spoke to a number of witnesses who have been on the Tehran protest on September 20 with the assistance of activist group 1500Tasvir.
Different movies, together with the scarf-burning ones, are proof that Nika was on the forefront of the protests earlier within the night time, earlier than the crackdown began – fearlessly main chants and throwing rocks, in keeping with a number of testimonies.
That will have made her a goal for safety forces, together with members of Iran’s feared Basij militia, as they began to descend into the world across the College of Tehran and Keshavarz Boulevard the place many of the protesters gathered that night, witnesses mentioned.
“I keep in mind how courageous she was as a result of she would go up on the rubbish bin and wouldn’t come down. She additionally burned her head scarf,” mentioned Najmeh, a protester who was with Nika on the demonstration.
CNN is utilizing pseudonyms for all the witnesses quoted on this investigation, as a result of danger to their security.
College students had gathered close to Laleh Park round 5 to six p.m. on September 20 to protest the loss of life of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian girl who died final month in state custody after being detained by the nation’s morality police, allegedly for the way she was dressed.
The scene was one which has grow to be acquainted in Tehran in current weeks: younger folks, principally ladies, chanting “loss of life to the dictator,” burning headscarves and throwing rocks towards safety forces.
At one level, a trash bin was introduced over and overturned to dam the highway. Nika hopped on prime together with a few others, video footage confirmed.
“She burned her head scarf and waved it. I informed her to not wave it since you may burn your self, simply maintain it till it burns,” mentioned Nima, who was additionally on the protest and noticed the occasions unfold. “Then she took the headscarves of the 2 associates who have been along with her and burned these as properly.”
In different movies from that night geolocated and verified by CNN, Nika is proven hurling rocks at anti-riot police forces. She’s carrying a particular CAT rucksack and carrying a black masks and hat on her head. Sounds that seem like gunshots might be heard.
From 7 to eight p.m., the safety forces’ crackdown intensified, witnesses mentioned. “They have been firing tear fuel and pellet photographs and grabbing protesters. Virtually all of us have been confronting them and operating away,” mentioned Reza, one other witness.
As anti-riot police and Basij forces stuffed the streets, protesters began to maneuver in all instructions to flee the crackdown.
One other witness, Dina, who spent a number of the protest strolling alongside Nika, informed CNN she noticed Nika in entrance of a fuel station not removed from the College of Tehran, the place the group of protesters had gathered after fleeing tear fuel launched by the safety forces. Others managed to seize on video these being detained by what seemed to be plainclothes officers.
Reza added: “I noticed with my very own eyes safety forces hitting ladies with batons, and so they grabbed lots of them and took them to police vans.”
It’s on this context of utmost repression of the protest that Nika was final seen by the witnesses who spoke to CNN – and 9 extra days would cross earlier than her household was given official phrase of her whereabouts. Movies verified and geolocated by CNN show that the woman, within the final witness footage offered to CNN displaying her alive, was hemmed in by safety forces on three sides.
“I believe Nika obtained caught that night time once we have been operating away. As a result of she was very younger,” Dina mentioned.
Whereas Iranian authorities insist Nika died on the grounds of that uninhabited constructing, her mom Nasrin informed Etemad, an unbiased Iranian newspaper, in an interview printed on October 10 that she believes her daughter “was on the protests and killed there.”
Iranian safety forces arrested eight individuals who have been employees within the constructing which Nika allegedly entered a number of hours after eyewitnesses noticed her on the September 20 protests, state-aligned information company Tasnim reported on October 4. Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi mentioned a judicial prison case had been launched and expressed his condolences to Nika’s household, state run IRNA mentioned.
Mohammad Shahriari, the pinnacle of prison prosecution of Tehran province, initially mentioned Nika’s accidents corresponded with having been “thrown down,” citing an post-mortem that exposed a number of fractures within the space of the pelvis, head, higher and decrease limbs, arms, toes and hip, Tasnim reported.
He added that “an investigation confirmed this incident had no connection to the protests. No bullet holes have been discovered on the physique.”
CNN has repeatedly sought remark from the Iranian authorities on whether or not Nika was detained on the protests that night time and whether or not different ladies have been assaulted and put in police automobiles. CNN additionally requested the Tehran prosecutor’s workplace concerning the standing of the prison investigation into Nika’s loss of life. No responses have been acquired previous to the publication of this story.
On Wednesday, the web information outlet Mizan, which is affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, printed a report saying that Nika’s loss of life had been a suicide, citing a prosecutor from t
Nevertheless, a loss of life certificates first seen by BBC Persian and verified by CNN states that Shahkarami died from a number of accidents attributable to blows with a tough object.
Within the Etemad interview, Nasrin mentioned she had spoken by cellphone with Shahkarami many occasions on the day she disappeared. The background noise through the calls indicated she and the opposite protesters have been fleeing from safety forces, Nasrin added.
Nika additionally talked about a number of areas she was in – Enghelab Sq., Keshavarz Boulevard and Valiasr road – in keeping with Nasrin, which match the movies geolocated by CNN.
Nasrin final spoke along with her daughter simply earlier than midnight, she mentioned, and after that, all her makes an attempt to name Nika indicated that Nika’s cellphone had been disconnected. Nika’s Instagram and Telegram accounts have been deleted, in keeping with Nika’s aunt and a number of other protesters who spoke to CNN.
For days, her household says they went to police stations, jails, and hospitals searching for traces of her, all to no avail. Lastly, on September 30, Nika’s mom and brother have been requested to determine Nika’s corpse, she informed BBC Persian.
On October 6, in an interview with Radio Farda, Nasrin claimed that whereas she and different family members have been searching for Nika within the days after her disappearance, one particular person gave her Nika’s nationwide ID quantity and informed her “the IRGC obtained her, they needed to slowly interrogate her.”
That matches what Shahkarami’s aunt, Atash, told BBC Persian quickly after she disappeared. “An unofficial supply from the IRGC themselves obtained in contact with me and mentioned, this child was in our custody per week in the past, and after we have been carried out interrogating and constructing the case file, 1 or 2 days in the past (she) was transferred to Evin jail,” Atash mentioned.
Atash and Nika’s uncle, Mohsen, have been subsequently arrested by Iranian safety forces and compelled to make a false assertion, in keeping with BBC Persian, citing a supply near the household. Following the BBC’s reporting, when reached by CNN, Atash requested to not be contacted once more, citing security issues.
Whereas the household searches for solutions, the individuals who have been with Nika on that day are additionally nonetheless reeling from her loss of life.
“The scenario was very scary, and everybody considered escaping,” Dina mentioned. “I can’t forgive myself for Nika’s loss of life. She was a toddler.”