No Country for Schoolgirls: How Iran is crushing dissent by killing teens

First it was Mahsa Amini and now it is Asra Panahi, Nika Shahkarami, Setareh Tajik and Sarina Esmailzadeh.

On Thursday, reports came in that another schoolgirl — Asra Panahi — was killed by the Iranian security services after she was beaten in her classroom for refusing to sing a pro-regime song when her school was raided last week.

A number of teenage girls are reported to been killed since anti-government protests swept across Iran a month ago. Activists and relatives have blamed security forces for their deaths — something authorities have denied.

What do we know about Panahi’s death?

On 13 October, it is reported that security officials raided the Shahed Girls High School in Ardabil and ordered a group of girls to sing a song praising the Islamic Republic.

When some students refused to participate, they were severely beaten, leading to a number of them being taken to hospital. Sixteen-year-old Panahi was also among them. On Friday, she reportedly died in hospital due to injuries sustained at the school.

The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates in Iran confirmed in a post on its Telegram channel that Asra Panahi died following a raid by the security forces. They also condemned the “brutal and inhumane” raids and demanded resignation of Iran’s education minister, Yousef Nouri.

Iranian officials denied that its security forces were responsible, with state TV reporting that she had a heart problem.

Other schoolgirls targeted

The death of Asra Panahi reportedly at the hands of Iran’s security officials isn’t the only instance when a school girl has been the target.

Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, protests have broken out across the country and school girls have also joined in these demonstrations.

Videos on social media have gone viral showing girls in schoolyards and classrooms in Iran standing up to traditional symbols of authority.

“Death to the dictator!”

School girls waving forced-hijabs, chanting in the streets of Sanandaj. Oct 17 #Mahsa_Amini #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/CggC37eVy9

— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) October 17, 2022

In an attempt to clamp down on these schoolgirls, Iranian authorities have launched a series of raids on schools, with officers forcing their way into classrooms, violently arresting them and in some case, brutally assaulting them — resulting in their death.

Earlier, Masih Alinejad, Iran-American journalist-activist, tweeted the death of 17-year-old Setareh Tajik. The teenager, according to Alinejad, was beaten to death by Iranian regime when she was caught protesting Amini’s death.

She escaped from Taliban and got killed by Islamic Republic.
Setareh Tajik, a 17 Yr old Afghan girl was beaten to death by Iranian regime. Her crime was protesting the murder of #MahsaAmini. The world must know we fight against Taliban & Islamic Republic together.#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/yv2OCbZe1V

— Masih Alinejad