Nasrin Shakarami, whose 16-year-old daughter Nika Shakarami died in September 2022 in mysterious circumstances during the nationwide anti-government protests in Iran, was reportedly arrested in Khorramabad city on Oct. 16 by the authorities.
The arrest was confirmed by her eldest daughter Aida Shakarami, 22, in a social media post, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Nika’s mother has remained outspoken about her daughter’s death. The reason for her arrest has not been given.
“We have been warning the international community that the Iranian government is using the cover of growing tensions in the region to go after its domestic critics, and that is why we must not lose focus on Iran’s internal repression,” said Bahar Ghandehari, the director of communications at the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), in an interview with Kayhan Life. “This timing is calculated to minimize international scrutiny and avoid accountability.”
Iran has been engaged in a military conflict with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by the Hamas armed group in Palestine against Israel. The attack claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people. Israel responded by launching attacks on Iran’s proxies in the Middle East. An estimated 45,000 people have died since the fighting began.
“Nika Shakarami became a powerful symbol of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests not only due to the horrific brutality of her killing, but also because she embodied the spirit of a new generation of youth leading the movement,” Ghandehari said. “Iranian authorities are determined to prevent stories like Nika Shakarami’s, much like Mahsa Jina Amini’s, from becoming rallying cries for another wave of resistance.”
Amini was detained in September 2022 for failing to wear her hijab according to the Islamic Republic’s mandatory dress code, and died of injuries she sustained while in police custody.
Her death launched the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ gender equality movement in Iran and sparked nationwide anti-government protests in which an unprecedented number of children and young people took part.
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Nika joined the demonstrations in Tehran and was allegedly arrested and then killed by security forces. Authorities claimed that the teenager had died after falling from a building. Her mother rejected the claim and said Nika was beaten to death during an interrogation by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
She said the authorities had lied about Nika’s death to cover up their involvement. She made the remarks in an Oct. 7 video message sent to online newspaper Radio Farda.
Authorities eventually showed Mrs. Shakarami photos of Nika’s dead body, buried her corpse in secret, and arrested several family members to prevent them from talking about the incident.
Prior to her mother’s arrest, Nika’s sister Aida was arrested by Iran’s morality police on April 17 for not wearing the mandatory hijab. Aida was released from prison on April 23, and defied the law again by posting a photograph of herself online without a veil.
Activists say the imprisonment of relatives who take part in anti-government protests is part of the Iranian regime’s efforts to stem dissent. .
“These families symbolize ongoing resistance and serve as powerful reminders of the movement’s struggle for freedom,” Ghandehari said. “The authorities fear that these families’ demands for justice could galvanize further public outcry, so by arresting or harassing them, they aim to silence dissent, intimidate other protesters, and erase the memory of those who lost their lives.”
Efforts to silence government critics have also included handing down court judgments against journalists and human rights campaigners.
An April 29 report by the BBC World Service said a leaked confidential government document named officials responsible for Nika’s death, and indicated that she had been sexually abused by authorities before her death. The report led Iran’s judiciary to file charges against reporters and activists who shared the story. The judiciary’s media center called the report “fake, incorrect, and error-ridden.”
“During the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests, thousands of demonstrators, including minors like Nika Shakarami, were killed or detained, yet these violations have been met with zero state accountability,” said Ghandehari. “Iranian women and youth are leading a quiet revolution every day through acts of civil disobedience, and the international community must amplify these voices and hold Iranian authorities accountable.”
