“Extremely Confidential” paperwork uncovered British broadcaster BBC reviews that Nika Shakarami, a 17-year-old Iranian protester, was sexually assaulted and killed after being detained by safety forces in the course of the unrest sparked by the Ladies, Life, Freedom 2022 protests.
Based on the report revealed by the BBC On April 30, the paperwork comprise an in depth transcript and report on the Shakarami case as compiled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It allegedly comprises the names of these accountable for her dying and senior commanders who allegedly tried to cowl up what occurred.
RFE/RL was unable to independently confirm the BBC report.
“This documentary summarizes the appalling actions taken in opposition to Nike Shakarami, detailing her arrest and subsequent makes an attempt at a cover-up by senior commanders,” the BBC reported.
Shakarami went lacking in the course of the September 2022 protests in Tehran over the dying of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody for allegedly improperly sporting a scarf.
In her final communication together with her associates, the Shakars, she stated that she was being chased by the safety forces.
Eight days later, Nika’s physique was returned to her household. The federal government stated she dedicated suicide.
A BBC report stated paperwork confirmed Shakarami was forcibly taken right into a refrigerated van, the place she was handcuffed and assaulted by a male officer. When she was ambushed, Shakarami fought again, prompting the officers to beat her with batons, they added.
Nasrin Shakarami, Niki’s mom, informed Radio Farda RFE/RL in an unique video report that “the forensic medical certificates indicated that my daughter died from a number of blows to the top with a tough object.”
A BBC investigation revealed {that a} former Iranian safety officer confirmed the authenticity of the paperwork via contacts within the IRGC archive, utilizing “an official code issued each day to senior intelligence officers”. Questions stay as to how the previous agent nonetheless had entry to the altering safety codes.
“The doc particularly states that after she was detained, Ms Shakarami was positioned in a van with a number of safety brokers,” reviews the BBC. Based on the doc, one of many brokers admitted to getting “excited” in the course of the holdup, though he later denied that any of the actions had been attributed to him.
Behruz Sadeghi, a member of the safety workforce, is quoted within the doc as saying that it was “whole darkness” contained in the van and “we may solely see one another with the sunshine from our cellphones”.
When Shakarami grew to become stressed, Sadeghi says, two of his colleagues, Arash Kalhor and Sadegh Manjazi, determined to restrain her by pressure.
“She began cursing once more, resulting in Arash Kalhor gagging her along with his sock whereas Sadegh laid her on the ground of the van and sat on prime of her to calm her down.
The paperwork quoted Kalhor as saying that when Shakarami began screaming and preventing once more, “I turned on my cellphone and noticed Sadegh Manjazi sitting on prime of her along with his hand in her pants.”
Iranian authorities and the IRGC didn’t reply to BBC inquiries in regards to the paperwork.
After her dying, authorities had been ordered by senior officers to dig up Shakarami’s physique in a quiet avenue subsequent to Yadegar Imam freeway in Tehran, the BBC reported, citing the paperwork.
Throughout the “Ladies, Life, Freedom” protests, Iranian state media tried to say that Shakarami had dedicated suicide by leaping from an unfinished constructing close to her aunt’s home the place she lived.
Her household stated they weren’t allowed to see her physique, solely components of her severely broken head and face.
“Who can we complain to when nobody within the authorities takes accountability for killing Nika?” her mom stated in despair.
The incident was comparable in some methods to what Amini suffered earlier than her dying.
Authorities stated she fell right into a coma shortly after her arrest on account of medical points. However her household say she was in good well being, whereas eyewitnesses stated the 22-year-old was overwhelmed whereas being detained.
Public anger over Amini’s dying is extensively seen as one of many greatest threats to Iran’s clerical institution for the reason that founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
At the least 500 individuals have been killed throughout the nation, and hundreds extra have been detained or harassed for the reason that authorities started a crackdown on her supporters.
