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Asra Panahi

Native name	اسراء پناهی
Date	12 October 2022 (age of 15)
Location	Ardabil, Ardabil province, Iran
Deaths	Asra Panahi
Burial	Ali-Abad Cemetery, Ardabil

On 12 October 2022, Iranian teenager Asra Panahi (Persian: اسراء پناهی, born on 2007) was killed during the Mahsa Amini protests in the city of Ardabil. She was among a group of students at Shahed Girls High School who are reported to have refused to join a pro-government demonstration and perform the "Salam Farmandeh" song. The students are reported to have been beaten by plainclothes security forces summoned to the school. Panahi died at Fatemi Hospital in Ardabil after sustaining severe injuries.

Life

Asra Panahi was born in Ardabil, Iran. She was born on 5 March 2007. She was of Azeri ethnicity.

Panahi was known as a swimmer and in the freestyle swimming of Azerbaijan girls (Azerbaijan Cup 2017) on 28–29 November 2018, she was able to take the third place (bronze) in the 50m and 100m freestyle swimming and achieve the third place (bronze) in the individual event (age group 11–12 years) and in the team freestyle swimming (age group 11–12 years) in the 4 x 50 meters event. These competitions were hosted at Abadgaran Pool in Tabriz.

Panahi was also selected as the top swimmer in the under-12 age group in the women's swimming league of East Azarbaijan province in 2017. In September 2018, she participated as a representative of East Azarbaijan Province in the Olympiad of the best swimming talents of Iran, and in the age group of 13–14 years, she achieved the sixth place in the country in swimming 50 meters backstroke.

Death

Panahi was killed on 12 October 2022 after plainclothes forces stormed the Shahed Girls High School in Ardabil. Officials from the school had attempted to force the students to participate in a pro-government demonstration where they were to sing "Salam Farmandeh", an ideological song praising Ali Khamenei. Some of the schoolgirls gathered at the school refused to participate, in protest to the killing of Mahsa Amini, the government, and mandatory hijab. A parent of one of the students said that teachers and students were chanting "death to the dictator". Plainclothes security forces were summoned by the school officials and attacked the students, reportedly beating them and arresting 10 of the girls. Panahi was among 12 of the students who had to be taken to Fatemi Hospital following the attack. She died due to severe injuries, including internal bleeding.

Reactions

The death of Panahi became a rallying cry for demonstrations, especially in Ardabil, with demonstrators demanding the end of the Islamic Republic. Large scale protests and demonstrations were held in Ardabil over Panahi's death on 15 October 2022.

The circumstances of Panahi's death have been disputed by officials. The Dana news network, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, aired a video of an interview with a masked man who said he was Panahi's uncle. He said that Panahi had a congenital heart condition and had died in the middle of the night after being taken to the hospital, emphasizing that her death was "not related to any rally or rebellion". Iranian government officials and government news agencies have claimed Panahi had a heart disease. Her uncle gave an interview that has been publicized on state television to claim her death was caused by a heart problem, not security forces, similar to interviews from relatives of Nika Shakarami and Sarina Esmailzadeh. The parliament member for Ardabil, Kazem Musavi, has claimed Panahi died by suicide.

Hassan Ameli, a member of the Iranian Assembly of Experts and Imam Jumu'ah of Ardabil, said in an interview that the students should not have been taken to the Salam Farmandeh ceremony in Ardabil without the permission of their parents. He denied that Panahi was killed by security forces and supported the claim that she died naturally.

The Coordinating Council of Trade Union Organizations of Iranian Educators initially reported that the death of Panahi occurred as a result of the attack of plainclothes security forces at the school. Hours later, they amended their statement to say that they could neither confirm nor deny the death of a student.

Ali Daei, a former Iranian football player and manager said: "Silence caused by the government's pressure against the protests and desecration of the students of Sharif University of Technology, where I have developed my scientific and knowledge bases in this institution, led today to the attack on innocent students in the schools of Ardabil. It caused the beating of the school students and shedding of the blood of my other daughters in my hometown Ardabil; this silence has the price of death and every day puts another heat in the heart of Iran, which is a betrayal of humanity and my country."

See also

• Compulsory Hijab in Iran
• Human rights in Iran
• Iranian protests against compulsory hijab

References

1. "ا سرا پناهی؛ چه بر سر دختر اردبیلی آمد؟". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 19 October 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
2. "Fire, gunshots reported at Iran prison for political and dual-national detainees". CBC News. Reuters. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
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4. Parent, Deepa; Kelly, Annie (18 October 2022). "Iranian schoolgirl 'beaten to death for refusing to sing' pro-regime anthem". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
5. ^ "اختصاصی؛ جزییات تازه از ضرب و جرح دانش‌آموزان دبیرستان شاهد اردبیل و کشته شدن یک نوجوان" [Exclusive: New details of the assault of Shahid Ardabil high school students and the killing of a teenager]. ایران اینترنشنال. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
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8. ^ "انتشار ویدیوی منسوب به بستگان دانش‌آموز فوت‌شده اردبیلی: اسراء پناهی بیماری مادرزادی قلبی داشت". رادیو فردا. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
9. ""ششمین دوره مسابقات شنای دختران "جام سرداران شهید آذربایجان" آغاز شد"" [The sixth round of the girls' swimming competition "Azarbaijan Martyrs' Cup" has started]. Isna. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
10. "هیات شنا، شیرجه و واترپلو استان آذربایجان شرقی مسابقات شنای جام سرداران شهید آذربایجان 6 و7 آذرماه 1397/تبریز-استخر آبادگران" [Swimming, diving and water polo team of East Azarbaijan province swimming competition of Sardaran Shahid Azarbaijan Cup, Azar 6 and 7, 1397/Tabriz-Istkher Abadgaran]. irsf.ir. 17 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
11. ""پایان مسابقات جام سرداران شهید آذربایجان بخش دختران"". irsf.ir. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
12. ""نتایج روز اول مسابقات جام سرداران شهید آذربایجان بخش دختران"". irsf.ir. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
13. ""ستارگان تبریز قهرمان لیگ شنا بانوان آذربایجان شرقی شد"". BBC News. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
14. ""فدراسیون شنای جمهوری اسلامی ایران - هیات شنای استان آذربایجان شرقی - مرحله سوم لیگ شنا استان-بانوان"". BBC News. 15 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
15. ""هیات شنا، شیرجه و واترپلو استان آذربایجان شرقی - المپیاد استعدادهای برتر شنای ایران-دختران - 8لغایت10شهریورماه سال1398 - تبریز-استخر آبادگران"". BBC News. 15 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
16. ^ "Teachers Union Calls For Resignation Of Education Minister After School Raids". Iran International. 16 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
17. Safi, Akhtar (15 October 2022). "Schoolgirl Killed in Custody in Ardabil". iranwire.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
18. "Coverage Of Nationwide Protests In Iran On Saturday". Iran International. 15 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
19. "Four inmates killed in Tehran prison fire: Iran state media". Al Jazeera. 16 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
20. ^ Obel, Ash. "Iranian schoolgirl killed by regime forces for refusing to sing pro-Khamenei anthem". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
21. ^ Gritten, David (19 October 2022). "Asra Panahi: Iran schoolgirl died after being beaten by security forces, teachers say". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
22. "امام جمعه اردبیل: نباید دانش‌آموزان را بدون اجازه به مراسم می‌بردند/ دلیل فوت اسراء پناهی را از خانوده اش بپرسید". روزنامه دنیای اقتصاد. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
23. "علی دایی می‌گوید سکوت در قبال رخدادهای کنونی ایران "تاوان مرگ" دارد". رادیو فردا.

v t e Mahsa Amini protests
Timeline Reactions
Background	Mahsa Amini Death of Mahsa Amini Iranian protests against compulsory hijab Dress code in Iran since 1979 Guidance Patrol Rage Against the Veil (anti-hijab book)
People	Deaths Aylar Haghi Sarina Esmailzadeh Khodanur Lojei Minoo Majidi Ghazaleh Chalabi Hadis Najafi Asra Panahi Kian Pirfalak Aida Rostami Mohammad Reza Sarvari Nika Shakarami Erfan Zamani Armita Geravand Executions and death sentences Executions Mohammad Hosseini Mohammad Mehdi Karami Majidreza Rahnavard Mohsen Shekari Mohammad Ghobadlou Saleh Mirhashemi Milad Zohrevand Sentences Mohammad Boroughani Mehdi Bahman Toomaj Salehi Present and former detainees Armita Abbasi Hamidreza Aliasgari Taraneh Alidoosti Mona Borzouei Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee Voria Ghafouri Hengameh Ghaziani Shervin Hajipour Niloofar Hamedi Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani Bahareh Hedayat Mohammadreza Jalaeipour Hossein Mahini Amir Emad Mirmirani Yalda Moaiery Elaheh Mohammadi Farideh Moradkhani Amir Reza Nasr Azadani Kaveh Rezaei Katayoun Riahi Hossein Ronaghi Arash Sadeghi Kianush Sanjari Fatemeh Sepehri Majid Tavakoli Soheila Golestani Hamid Pourazari Elham Afkari Mahan Sadrat Navab Ebrahimi Elham Modarresi Eshragh Najafabadi Elnaz Mohammadi Negin Bagheri Donya Rad Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi Saeed Shirzad Vida Rabbani Organizers and artists involved Masih Alinejad Nazanin Boniadi Hamed Esmaeilion Shabnam Farshadjoo Ali Karimi Simin Keramati Arghavan Khosravi Afshin Naghouni Shirin Neshat Reza Pahlavi Anahita Razmi Sheida Soleimani
Events	September–October 2022 attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan 2022 Zahedan massacre Evin Prison fire Shah Cheragh attack 2022 2023 Attack on Izeh market Khomeini house fire 2023 Iran drone attacks Iranian schoolgirls mass poisoning reports Eye injuries
Lists	Deaths during the Mahsa Amini protests Death sentences during the Mahsa Amini protests
Sanctions	MAHSA Act (J. Banks proposal) Tenney resolution
Related	Baraye Elnaz Rekabi Iran Human Rights Human Rights Activists in Iran Neighbourhood Youth Alliance of Iran Woman, Life, Freedom Woman, Life, Freedom movement Suicide of Mohammad Moradi Iranian demonstrations in Strasbourg Time Heroes of the Year 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Sakharov Prize 1500 Tasvir
Category

• Deaths by person in Iran
• Female murder victims
• Iranian women's rights activists
• October 2022 events in Iran
• People killed in the Mahsa Amini protests
• Violence against children in Iran
• Violence against women in Iran
• Police brutality in Iran
• Iranian Azerbaijanis
• 2007 births