Teenage protester Nika Shakarami 'fell from rooftop', Iran says

The 16 year-old was missing for 10 days before her body was found

Demonstrators chant slogans during the March of Solidarity for Iran in Washington. AFP

Another group of demonstrators at the march. AFP

A protest in support of Iranian women in Barcelona. Reuters

Iranian citizens and locals joined in the Barcelona protest. Reuters

People attend a demonstration in solidarity with Mahsa Amini and other Iranian women in Castello Square, Turin. EPA

A person places a candle during the demonstration in Turin. EPA

A protester holds a pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag during a demonstration in Brussels in support of the Iranians fighting for their freedom. AFP

A protester wearing a top with a logo that reads 'No to an Islamic state" as she takes part in a rally in support of the Iranian people, in Brussels. AFP

People wave the Shah-era Iranian flag during a protest in Paris. AFP

A woman shows her true colours in the protest against the Iranian government, in Paris. AFP

A woman holds a flag, as people protest against the Iranian regime outside Iran's embassy in central London. Reuters

Supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) carry placards and wave party flags in Beirut, during a protest against the death of Ms Amini. EPA

People demonstrate against the Iranian government outside the Houses of Parliament in London following the death of Amini. Reuters

A mural in Paris depicts women cutting their hair to show support for Iranian protesters. AP

People take part in a rally against the Iranian government in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday. AP

Protesters take to the streets of Tehran. EPA

Iranian protesters run after clashing with with police. EPA

A protester shaves their head outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Reuters

Iranians living in Athens hold a protest in solidarity. AFP

People take part in a rally in The Hague. AFP

A woman cuts her hair during a demonstration in Santiago, Chile, by feminist groups and Iranian migrants in support of Iranian women following the death of Amini. AFP

Members of feminist groups and Iranian migrants during the protests in Santiago. AFP

Iranian activists shout slogans during a protest against the government in Tehran, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. EPA

A protester holds a painted portrait of Mahsa Amini in Berlin, Germany. EPA

A protester shows red paint on her face, resembling blood splatters and bloody handprints next to the national Iranian emblem, during a rally in Berlin. EPA

Iranian protesters shout slogan during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA

A woman holds a sign during a protest against the Iranian government, in front of the country's embassy in Madrid, Spain. The protests were triggered by the death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody. Reuters

A woman cuts her hair during the protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Madrid. Reuters

Israelis show their support for women in Iran as they hold up placards of Amini during a protest in Jerusalem. EPA

Amini, 22, was arrested in Tehran on September 13, 2022, by the morality police. She fell into a coma while in police custody and was declared dead on September 16. EPA

People walk by graffiti in support of the protests triggered by Amini's death, in Jerusalem. EPA

A protest in Nantes, western France, after the death of Amini in Iranian police custody. AFP

Women gather for a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain. AFP

Demonstrators in Nantes. Amini's death has sparked a global protest movement. AFP

Women protest outside the town hall in in Montpellier, southern France. AFP

A woman at a protest in Catalunya Square, Barcelona. Reuters

Campaigners and football fans protest at a Champions League match between Porto and Bayer Leverkusen at the Dragao stadium in Portugal. EPA

People hold placards during a demonstration in solidarity with the Iranian people near the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. EPA

An Iranian woman living in Turkey with 'Freedom' written on her forehead takes part in a protest near the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. Reuters

In Barcelona, protesters take part in a demonstration in support of Iranian women. AFP

A Lebanese activist takes part in a protest in Beirut, triggered by the death of Amini, 22. AP

A Turkish protester takes off her head scarf while giving a performance in Instanbul during a protest against Iran over Amini's death. Getty

A woman in Istanbul cuts her hair during a protest against Iran. Getty

A Lebanese activist holds a poster depicting Amini during a protest in Beirut organised by feminist groups in support of women protesters in Iran. EPA

Demonstrators in Los Angeles, California, hold the Iranian flag during a protest against the government in Tehran. AFP

Demonstrators hold placards in Mexico City during a protest against Iran. Reuters

People demonstrate in Montreal, Canada, during a protest triggered by Amini's death. AFP

Iranian Americans participate in a rally in central Los Angeles, in solidarity with women in Iran. AP

Demonstrators march during a protest in Los Angeles, California. AFP

A woman with the colours of the Iranian flag painted on her face participates in a rally as thousands demonstrate in support of Iranian women in Los Angeles. EPA

Australians protest over Amini's death in Melbourne. EPA

Police block protesters from entering Iran's embassy in Oslo, Norway. EPA

Demonstrators in front of the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, during a rally against Iran. EPA

A candlelight vigil for Amini in Los Angeles. AFP

Afghan women hold placards as they take part in a protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Kabul. AFP

Protestors take part in a rally outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. AFP

An Iranian woman shows a lock of hair she cut off during a protest outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. EPA

Demonstrators outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. Getty

Iranian Americans rally on Capitol Hill in Washington to show support for protesters in Iran. AFP

Protesters on Capitol Hill hold a sign condemning the crackdown by Tehran. AFP

German demonstrators gather in Berlin after the death of Amini in Iranian police custody. AP

A protester cries during a rally in Berlin. Reuters

A demonstration in Madrid, Spain. Thousands have gathered in cities across Europe to support protests in Iran. AP

Demonstrators gather outside the Iranian embassy in Madrid. Reuters

People take part in a protest in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA

Protesters hold signs featuring images of Amini during the protest in the western Swiss city. EPA

Demonstrators in front of the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. EPA

An activist outside the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a sign that reads 'Justice for Mahsa Amini'. AFP

A demonstration against violence in Iran is held in Quito, Ecuador. The Iranian community in Ecuador protested outside the Iranian embassy. EPA

Protesters at a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in Quito, Ecuador. EPA

Teenage protester Nika Shakarami, whose bruised body was handed back to her family earlier this week before being stolen by authorities and secretly buried, died after falling from a building rather than due to police brutality, an Iranian prosecutor has claimed.

Ali Salehi said an “investigation” has been opened into the death of Nika, 16, who went missing for 10 days after joining protests in Tehran as demonstrations sweep the country, semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.

“The initial investigation showed that the deceased's backpack and mobile phone were located on the roof of the adjacent four-storey house,” Tasnim reported Mr Salehi as saying.

The prosecutor said Nika's family had identified her body.

Atash Shakarami, Nika's aunt, who tweeted repeatedly after her niece's disappearance in an attempt to uncover information on her whereabouts, told BBC Persian that, before she died, Nika had told a friend that she was running away from security forces.

Ms Shakarami added that the family was asked to identify Nika at a morgue in a “detention centre” in Tehran.

Her aunt said that when the family were handed the girl's body, it showed signs of severe trauma.

“In the morning, when [the police] went to hand over the body, they saw that her nose was destroyed and her skull was broken and disintegrated from multiple blows of a hard object,” Ms Shakarami said, according to The Telegraph newspaper.

Mr Salehi said eight people had been arrested in connection with Nika's death.

Demonstrations erupted nationwide in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16. She died in police custody after being detained for failure to comply with Iran's dress code for women.

Mr Salehi earlier said 400 protesters had been released from jail after promising “not to repeat their actions”, while others remain in custody on more serious charges.

A video circulated on social media purportedly showed Nika's mother carrying a photo of her daughter, shouting “congratulations on your martyrdom”. The National was unable to verify the authenticity of the clip.

Sunday would have been Nika's 17th birthday but was instead the day authorities buried her in Veysian, around 40km away from her hometown of Khorramabad.

Unlike previous protests

Shahin Milani, executive director of US-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre, told The National that this wave of demonstrations are visibly different from those that have occurred in previous years.

“In November 2019, the protests were mostly taking place in smaller towns and impoverished suburbs where the really brutal killings were taking place,” he said.

“But now, you see protests even in rich neighbourhoods of northern Tehran. The middle class is more involved in this round of protests than it was in 2019.”

At least 154 protesters have been killed in demonstrations in recent weeks, Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said on Wednesday.

So far, Iran has not unleashed what Mr Milani called a “military-style crackdown”, despite major defiance by civilians who have been burning their headscarves and photos of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

“The slogans of the protesters are very clear — that they're fed up with the system and they want it gone,” Mr Milani said.

Similarly, commentators and Iran watchers discussing the situation in the country said the 2022 protests cannot be defined as anti-hijab or pro-feminist movements.

“Protesters obviously want a secular government — a government that does not enforce any religious law. They are fed up with this system and its entirety because of the killing of Mahsa Amini,” Mr Milani said.

Commenting on a video of Iranian schoolgirl burning their headscarves, US-based Iranian activist Delbar Tavakoli said: “The ideology behind this piece of cloth destroyed the lives of several generations!”

Government reaction

Iran's government has been stifling dissent among protesters, going beyond the streets and arresting people such as singer Shervin Hajipour, whose viral song has become the anti-government movement's anthem.

Hajipour has since been released on bail, but the lyrics of his song Baraye ("for” in English) speak of the reasons ordinary Iranians have given for taking to the streets.

Tasnim news agency said the singer-songwriter was arrested on suspicion of “showing support for rioters and solidarity with the enemies by posting the song in social media without getting permission for it”.