Remembering Neda Agha-Soltan who was extrajudicially executed 15 years ago today in Iran

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Lecture 1986

 

Fifteen years ago today in Tehran, in the midst of the Green Revolution an agent of the Iranian Islamic regime, a member of the Basij, shot and murdered Neda Agha-Soltan. She was just 26 years old an aspiring singer. Her death was captured on video and went viral across the internet providing an image that brought home the reality of the violent crackdown visited on the nonviolent Green movement.

 

In Iran, the contested June 2009 election sparked an unprecedented wave of state-sponsored violence and repression. Thousands of peaceful protesters were beaten, arrested, tortured, and killed. One of them Neda Agha-Soltan, age 27, was shot and killed on June 20, 2009 during protests denouncing election fraud. 

Neda’s death was captured on video and in those terrible moments reflected the great crime committed by the Iranian government against the people of Iran. Official numbers place the number of killed at 36 during the protests but the opposition places the dead at 72. In 2009 at least 270 people were hanged and in 2010 at least 12 so far. 4,000 have been arrested including journalists and reformist politicians.

Neda's fiance, Caspian Makan, left Iran and has spoken out all over the world on camera and in print to denounce the atrocity. I met Caspian and heard him speak at the 2nd Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance, and Democracy on March 9, 2010. It is powerful testimony. Below is an interview broadcast over Al-Jazeera in English.

 

Fifteen years later those responsible for this crime have yet to be brought to justice and the regime that carried out this brutal crime along with many others remains in power.  It is precisely for these reasons that we must remember and continue to protest wherever and whenever possible to demand justice. 

"Although Neda has been murdered and is dead, they are still afraid of her, they come to the graveyard and want to kill her again. She's dead but her memory is getting brighter and brighter every day." - Hajar Rostami (Neda's mother interviewed in The Guardian on June 11, 2010 )

Lets raise our voices for Neda Agha-Soltan

"Although Neda has been murdered and is dead, they are still afraid of her, they come to the graveyard and want to kill her again. She's dead but her memory is getting brighter and brighter every day." - Hajar Rostami (Neda's mother interviewed in The Guardian on June 11, 2010 )

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On the day of her death, the the last phone call Neda made before she was shot was to her mother. Her mother begged her to come home since everyone knew there were people being killed in the streets.

Neda said, "If I don't go, who will?"

This is the question we pose.

If we don't raise our voices, who will?

The above text was taken from the Airborne Toxic Event's you tube page and below is there video:



Time to take action for Neda!

Background information

Neda Agha-Soltan born on January 23, 1983 was shot to death by a basij — an Islamic volunteer militaman — who shot her from his motorbike on June 20, 2009. She was only 26 years old. Her extra-judicial killing drew international attention after she was killed during the 2009 Iranian election protests because it was captured on video by bystanders and broadcast over the Internet. Nedā (ندا) is a word used in Persian to mean "voice", "calling," or "divine message," and she has been referred to as the "voice of Iran." Her death became iconic in the struggle of Iranian protesters against the fraudulent election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

November 2009 the Mullah's condemned Oxford University for having one of its colleges set up a scholarship in honor of Neda Agha-Soltan In January 2010 the Iranian government tried to present a cover story to obfuscate her tragic death which her music teacher and an a eyewitness to the killing described as a: "shameful attempt to cover up the truth and place the blame for Neda's death on others." Now days short of the one year anniversary of her passing the Iranian regime is doing all it can to block Iranian's access to a film about her life and tragic death. The government in Iran is shameless. Watch the HBO documentary here:



Neda's tragic life has inspired musicians and artists around the world the band, The Airborne Toxic Event, has released a song NEDA of which purchases on I-tunes will go to Amnesty International. Below you can learn how the band was inspired to write the song, and watch a recording of the live performance of "Neda."


The Airborne Toxic Event - Neda (live from The Echo, Los Angeles, CA 5-25-2010)

Neda's fiance, Caspian Makan, left Iran and has spoken out all over the world on camera and in print to denounce the atrocity. I met Caspian and heard him speak at the 2nd Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance, and Democracy on March 9, 2010. It is powerful testimony. Below is an interview broadcast over Al-Jazeera in English.


Fiance tells of Neda's last moments - 23 Jun 09

Over the past year the Iranian regime has demonstrated itself to be shameless, and has demonstrated with its actions that moderation is non-existent and virtue is extinguished. Perhaps this campaign can rekindle a sense of shame, but at least it will inform and remind the world of this atrocity and the kind of system operating there.

Whilst shame keeps its watch, virtue is not wholly extinguished in the heart; nor will moderation be utterly exiled from the minds of tyrants. - Edmund Burke

To take additional action & for more information visit http://nedaspeaks.org/

Update #1: Important story today in The Guardian: Neda Agha-Soltan: 'She is dead but regime is still afraid of her'