Iranian schoolgirl ‘beaten to death for refusing to sing’ pro-regime anthem - The Guardian

Another schoolgirl has reportedly been killed by the Iranian information services aft she was beaten successful her schoolroom for refusing to sing a pro-regime opus erstwhile her schoolhouse was raided past week, sparking further protests crossed the state this weekend.

According to the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, 16-year-old Asra Panahi died aft information forces raided the Shahed girls precocious schoolhouse successful Ardabil connected 13 October and demanded a radical of girls sing an anthem that praises Iran’s ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

When they refused, information forces bushed the pupils, starring to a fig of girls being taken to infirmary and others arrested. On Friday, Panahi reportedly died successful infirmary of injuries sustained astatine the school.

Iranian officials denied that its information forces were liable and, aft her decease sparked outrage crossed the country, a antheral identified arsenic her uncle appeared connected authorities TV channels claiming she had died from a congenital bosom condition.

Schoolgirls person emerged arsenic a almighty force aft videos went viral of classrooms of pupils waving their hijabs successful the air, taking down pictures of Iran’s ultimate leaders and shouting anti-regime slogans successful enactment of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old pistillate who died aft being detained by Iran’s morality constabulary for not wearing her hijab correctly successful August.

The Iranian authorities responded by launching a bid of raids connected schools crossed the state past week, with reports of officers forcing their mode into classrooms, violently arresting schoolgirls and pushing them into waiting cars, and firing teargas into schoolhouse buildings.

In a connection posted connected Sunday, Iran’s teachers’ national condemned the “brutal and inhumane” raids and called for the resignation of the acquisition minister, Yousef Nouri.

An Iranian pupil aft daubing a representation of Iran connected a partition with handprints, allegedly astatine a sit-in protestation astatine the Art University of Isfahan implicit the weekend. Photograph: UGC/AFP/Getty Images

News of Panahi’s decease has further mobilised schoolgirls crossed the state to organise and articulation protests implicit the weekend.

Among them was 16-year-old Naznin*, whose parents had kept her astatine location for fearfulness that she would beryllium arrested for protesting astatine her school.

“I haven’t been allowed to spell to the schoolhouse due to the fact that my parents fearfulness for my life. But what has it changed? The authorities continues to termination and apprehension schoolgirls,” says Naznin.

“What bully americium I if I simply beryllium outraged astatine home? Myself and chap students crossed Iran person decided to basal successful protestation connected the streets this week. I’ll bash it adjacent if I person to present fell it from my parents.”

19-year-old Nergis* besides joined the protests, and was deed by rubber bullets successful her backmost and legs. She says Panahi’s decease has motivated her and her friends to proceed to protest, contempt the danger.

She says what happened to Panahi – arsenic good arsenic the deaths of 2 different schoolgirls, 17-year-old Nika Shahkarami and 16-year-old Sarina Esmailzadeh, some astatine the hands of the Iranian information forces – has agreed young radical crossed Iran nether a communal cause.

“I don’t person a azygous comparative successful Ardabil, but with this brutal crackdown connected our sisters, who were conscionable 16 years old, they’ve awakened the full nation,” she says.

“We ne'er knew we were truthful agreed – crossed the Baloch regions arsenic good arsenic the Kurdish regions. The satellite has heard astir Nika, Sarina and Asra, but determination are truthful galore different nameless children who we cognize thing about.

“It’s not conscionable Asra’s death,” she says. “The Islamic Republic has been sidesplitting our radical for 40 years, but our voices weren’t heard. Let the satellite cognize this is nary longer a protestation – we are calling for a revolution. Now that you’re each listening to our voices, we volition not stop.”

According to the latest study by the Iran Human Rights group, 215 people, including 27 children, person been killed successful the nationwide protests, arsenic of 17 October.

*Names person been changed