Protests in Iran intensify after Shabbat 16 was beaten to death by policemen
A month of protest: 16-year-old Asra Panahi was beaten in her class because she refused to sing the pro-government anthem.
The incident happened last week when security forces raided the school.
Officials in Iran denied that the security forces were responsible for the death, following an uproar throughout the country
news agencies
18/10/2022
Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 10:05 a.m. Updated: 11:05 a.m.
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On video: Iranians in Istanbul mark one month of the anti-government protest in Iran (Reuters)
New protests have erupted in Iran following reports of another schoolgirl apparently murdered by Iranian security services.
16-year-old Asra Panahi was beaten in her class because she refused to sing a pro-government anthem.
The incident happened last week when the security forces raided the school, according to a "Guardian" report.
According to the Coordinating Committee of the Iranian Teachers Union, Panahi died after security forces raided the Shahad High School for Girls in Argabil on October 13 and demanded a group of girls sing a hymn praising Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
When the girls refused the request, the police beat the students, some girls were rushed to the hospital and some were arrested.
On Friday, according to reports, Panahi died in hospital from the beatings she received at school.
Officials in Iran denied that the security forces were responsible for the death, following an uproar throughout the country.
A person who identified herself as Panahi's aunt appeared on state television and claimed that she had died of cardiac syndrome.
16-year-old Asra Panahi was beaten to death by police officers (photo: official website, Twitter)
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High school girls are a significant force in the current protest.
Many videos circulated on social media have gone viral after showing female students waving their hijabs in classrooms and shouting anti-government slogans against Khamenei.
Iranian authorities responded with a series of raids on schools across the country last week.
In the videos, you can see police forcefully entering classrooms, violently arresting girls and pushing them into waiting cars, as well as firing tear gas into the classrooms.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Iranian Teachers' Union condemned the "violent and inhumane" raids and called for the resignation of Education Minister Yusef Nouri.
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"This is not a protest - we are calling for a revolution"
The news of Fahani's death sparked further protests over the weekend.
According to 16-year-old Nazanin, whose parents ordered her not to go to school for fear of being arrested, she told the "Guardian" that "I am not allowed to go to school because my parents fear for my life, but what has changed? The regime continues to kill and arrest girls in high school," she said.
"What good does it do if I sit at home? Me and other female students in Iran have decided to protest in the streets this week. I will do it even if I have to lie to my parents."
19-year-old Nargis said she was hit by rubber bullets in her back and legs after participating in the protests.
But Fahani's death, according to her, motivates her and her friends to continue protesting despite the danger.
"The brutal campaign against our sisters, only 16 years old, stirred up the entire nation. "We have never been so united - across the entire country including the Kurdish areas.
The world has heard about Nika, Serena and Asra, but there are so many more nameless children we don't know about," she said.
"It is not just about the death of Asra. The Islamic Republic has been killing our people for 40 years, but our voices are not heard. The world needs to know that this is not a protest - we are calling for a revolution. Now listen to us, we will not stop."
According to the latest update from Iran Rights Journal, 215 people, including 27 children, have been killed so far in protests across Iran, as of October 17.
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