While his case attracted attention on the Internet, Iranian officials He denied any responsibility on Friday, claiming he died by suicide by jumping off the roof. But the details of Esmaeilzadeh’s death in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, fit a broader pattern of security forces targeting, arresting and in some cases killing minors as Iran’s anti-government uprising enters its fourth week.
According to Amnesty International, Esmaeilzadeh “died after being severely beaten to the head with batons”. He reported September’s death. 30 As one of at least 52 people killed by security forces by September. 25, later verified by an account other rights groups.
Esmaeilzadeh on her blog At times she mourned the discrimination faced by women in Iran. Young people ‘need freedom’ to live a good life a video posted May 22. However, she was unable to do so “due to certain restrictions specifically placed on women,” such as the mandatory hijab and banning of gyms. He said Iranians cannot expect “anything else” from the government other than welfare benefits.
“We didn’t see any other young people more than ourselves 20 years ago anymore,” Esmaeilzadeh, dressed in a colorful shirt with a cartoon print, told the camera. “And it’s only natural as a human being to look at a better option.”
Esmaeilzadeh’s condition is frightening similar to Nika Shakarami, 16, who also died during the protests last month. Her family claims she was killed by security forces after she burned her hijab, while Iranian officials claim she fell from the roof. Shakarami’s death and blatant attempts to cover it up and scare his family fueled further anger.
The unexplained death of another young woman, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, while being detained by Iran’s morality police, sparked the first nationwide protests in mid-September. Despite fierce repression and internet blackouts, public unrest continued, posing the biggest challenge to Iran’s religious leaders in a few years.
Negin, 36, an art teacher at a Tehran high school who participated in the protests, told the Washington Post: “After the deaths escalate, I can see the protests spreading further, especially with the murders of Nika and Sarina.” He spoke on the condition that only his name be used to protect his safety.
Negin said one of his male relatives initially dismissed the protests, saying “a group of spoiled kids was making a mess”. However, he was deeply saddened by the death of Esmaeilzadeh, whom he compared to Iran losing a great poet.
Iranian censorship and reporting restrictions make casualty numbers difficult to verify, but human rights groups have identified them. more than two dozen children killed in demonstrations. Most of the minors lived in long-term marginalized areas of Iran, including the provinces of Kurdistan and Balochistan, where the state’s repressions were most northerly.
Esmaeilzadeh reportedly went to protest September. With a few friends after 22 lessons. He did not return that night.
News about Esmaeilzadeh’s death and videos from her blog soon began to circulate on the Internet. A video of a singing teenager Irish musician Hozier said he reached out to the singer on Friday.
“We’re talking about freedoms, without understanding what it means to pay the ultimate price while fighting for them.” Hozier tweeted. “This brave girl was only 16 years old in the world…”
Under pressure, Iranian officials said on Friday the teenager died by jumping from a five-story building and committing suicide. state television too published an interview with Esmaeilzadeh’s mother, who says her daughter once tried to kill herself using pills. The official confirmed the cause of death.
But Iran has a long history of coercing confessions and broadcasting them on state television, according to human rights groups. Shakarami’s mother said her family was pressured into making false statements about her daughter’s death.
State television was briefly attacked later on Saturday. by a group calling itself “Adalat Ali” or Ali’s Justice. The hackers interrupted a newsletter with slogans in support of the protests and pictures of murdered demonstrators, including Esmaeilzadeh.
“The main core of this revolution is Sarina and her generation,” said Negin. “A group that fully knows their rights, is in contact with the world and knows very well what they are deprived of… [my] generation.”
