Iran Protests Led by Generation Z... Deceased 16-Year-Old Nika Also Burned Hijab

Bereaved Families "Severe Head Trauma Found"
Teen Deaths During Protests Continue
Authorities Claim 'Suicide' and 'Fall Accident'

The anti-government protests in Iran, sparked by the suspicious death of 22-year-old Masa Amini who was taken away by the religious police for not wearing her hijab properly, are now being led by Generation Z (born 1997?2012). The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Amid the ongoing deaths of teenage girls during anti-government protests in Iran, a video has been released showing a teenage girl who went missing after attending an anti-government protest and was found dead after 10 days, burning her hijab.

According to a BBC report on the 10th (local time), Nika Sakaramy, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances 10 days after her disappearance, was filmed on September 20th standing on a large trash bin on a street in Tehran, burning her hijab.

Afterwards, Nika sent a text message to a friend saying she was being chased by the police and then went missing.

◆ Bereaved family claims "Killed by security forces" VS Government authorities say "Death by falling from building"

The missing Nika returned to her family as a cold corpse after ten days.

The Iranian government claimed that Nika died after falling from a construction site building, but her family explained that she was kidnapped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, interrogated for a week, and then imprisoned.

In relation to this, on the 5th (local time), Iranian state TV broadcast a blurry video showing a teenage girl or woman believed to be Nika walking down an alley, opening a door, and entering a building. Nika’s aunt also appeared on state TV, stating that her niece died after falling from a building near their home in Tehran.

Specifically, government authorities explained that Nika entered a building where eight construction workers were present on the day she disappeared and was found dead in the building’s front yard the next morning. A government official announced, "The autopsy revealed multiple fractures in the pelvis, head, and limbs," adding, "She was thrown from a high place."

However, Nika’s mother denied this, claiming that her siblings Atashi and younger brother Mosen were taken by the police and forced to give false statements related to Nika’s death.

She said, "I saw my daughter’s body myself. The back of her head showed a depressed skull, indicating a very severe blow." According to the death certificate issued by a cemetery in Tehran obtained by BBC Persian, Nika had "multiple injuries caused by a hard object."

The family said that Nika’s body was returned to them only on the 1st, ten days after her disappearance. They claim that security authorities seized Nika’s body and buried it without the family’s permission.

Nika’s mother denied that the woman appearing in the CCTV footage, which the government presented as evidence that Nika’s death was unrelated to the anti-government protests, was her daughter. People close to Nika’s family also testified that the woman’s gait in the video was different from Nika’s.

She also claimed that Nika’s siblings were detained by authorities and forced to give false statements about Nika’s death. She said, "The security forces even threatened to detain my 4-year-old child to intimidate my younger sibling."

Finally, she added, "Like Nika, I opposed being forced to wear the hijab when I was young, but our generation lacked the courage to resist. Our generation accepted oppression, intimidation, and submission. But my daughter resisted to protect her rights."

◆ Generation Z leading protests in Iran, Nika’s death becomes a catalyst for anti-government demonstrations

The anti-government protests in Iran, triggered by the suspicious death of Masa Amini (22), who was taken by religious police for not properly wearing her hijab, are now led by Generation Z (born 1997?2012).

Hadis Najafi (22) was shot dead by security forces during a protest in Karaj, western Tehran, on September 21. According to Amnesty International, another 16-year-old girl, Sarina Esmailzadeh, also died on September 23 after being severely beaten on the head with a baton by security forces during protests in Karaj.

According to The Guardian, the previous deaths and Nika’s death have become a catalyst for anti-government protests across Iran, with Generation Z participating actively.

After Nika’s death, photos have been posted on social media by Iranians showing female students pointing fingers at or removing pictures of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and current leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, which hang in classrooms.

Meanwhile, protests continue across Iran. Demonstrators have marched in the streets removing their hijabs or held "burning ceremonies" where hijabs are set on fire. Videos shouting the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom" are pouring in. When street protests are difficult, students record protests in classrooms and share them online to express their anger.

University protesters shouted slogans such as "Death to the dictator" and "This is not a protest, it is a revolution." The Guardian reported that protests continue with marches where possible and online videos where marching is not feasible.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) has reported that 95 people have died during the protests so far. According to the "Children’s Rights Protection Iran Society," a total of 28 children have died during the anti-government protests.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.