Who Was Nika Shakarami? 16-Year-Old Iranian Protester's Death Sparks Outrage

On September 20, 2022, 16-year-old Nika Shakarami went missing after she took part in the protests against Mahsa Amini in Tehran. Her family was informed of her death ten days later.

The late teenager’s family were not allowed to see the body and were only allowed to look at her face for a few seconds for identification purposes.

Shakarami’s mother and aunt saw that her nose had been smashed and her skull was broken. The official death certificate cited “multiple blows caused by a hard object” as the cause of death.

Who Was Nika Shakarami?

• The death of 16-year-old Nika Shakarami enraged citizens and led to high school girls joining the anti-government protests in large numbers on October 4.
• Shakarami participated in the protests against Mahsa Amini’s death on September 20. She went missing after protesting on Keshavarz Boulevard in Tehran.
• The Iranian authorities claimed she died due to falling from a height, but her family stated that the photos shown to them appeared unusual. Her family was threatened and told not to hold a memorial service for her.
• Shakarami’s mother Nasrin accused the Iranian authorities of murdering her daughter and pressuring her to say that she died by suicide after she jumped from the roof of a building.
• Her family planned to bury Shakarami in Khorramabad, on October 2, which would have been her 17th birthday. However, they alleged that the security forces pressured them into not holding a funeral service.
• Reportedly, the late teenager’s aunt, Atash Shakarami, defied the security forces and posted about the funeral on Twitter and invited people to join the celebration of her niece’s “last birthday”. Shortly afterwards, she and her husband were arrested.
• On October 5, Iranian state television aired interviews where Atash stated that the teenager fell from the roof. The interview was reportedly filmed while they were in government custody. Shakarami’s mother also claimed that her sister was “forced to make the confession and broadcast them”.
• Her family further alleged that Shakarami’s body was stolen and buried in Hayat Ol Gheyb to prevent publicity and prevent her grave from becoming a pilgrimage site for protesters.
• Protesters gathered in the Khorramabad cemetery the day Shakarami’s funeral would have been held.

Suggested Reading: Iran Security Forces Return Body Of 16-Year-Old Protester With Suspicious Injuries