Nobel Laureate Pays Tribute To Murdered Iranian Teen

The Instagram page managed on behalf of imprisoned human rights activist Narges Mohammadi released a video memorializing Nika Shakarami, a 16-year-old murdered by the Iranian security forces.

Shakarami became an icon of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising after her death in 2022 amid the nationwide protests after she was filmed burning her hijab.

The post by the Iranian Nobel laureate condemned the actions of the Iranian regime, stating, "Brave Nika, your stature embodies the power of the protesters and the brutality of the aggressors.

“What a scandalous regime the Islamic Republic is, arresting and imprisoning women under the pretext of their hair, and sexually assaulting the same women.”

A recent BBC investigation unveiled a "highly confidential" document implicating three security personnel in the direct assault and murder of Shakarami. 

The report detailed a disturbing account of the events leading to her death, including an officer forcefully restraining her while others sexually assaulting her and beating her with batons. Despite her resistance, the sexual assault ended fatally, with the regime later falsely claiming she had committed suicide.

Shakarami's murder came after that of Mahsa Amini, whose death in September 2022 in police custody for hijab defiance ignited nationwide protests.