Neda Soltani was a young Iranian woman shot in the chest by a Basij soldier during the protests in Iran on June 20, 2009. A graphic video showing Neda in the seconds after she was shot shows blood flowing from her mouth, nose and chest. The video of Neda's death was uploaded to YouTube and shared on Twitter.
The name Neda means "voice" in Farsi. CNN reported that demonstrators were using images of Neda and that she was hailed as a martyr.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/06/iran--2.html
About the Protests
On June 13, 2009, Iran's electoral commission announced that current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been re-elected. Believing that this result was fraudulent, supporters of Ahmadinejad's opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, took to the streets of Tehran in protest.
On June 15, Mousavi himself made an appearance at one of these protests, before a crowd of more than 100,000 people, causing Iran's Guardian Council to begin a ballot recount. The following week, violence began to break out protesters and Iranian authorities.
Soltani was shot during a June 20 protest by a Basij soldier using a sniper rifle. These soldiers are members of a paramilitary force who report to Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Ruler.
Video of Neda Soltani Killing (WARNING: GRAPHIC)
Fiance tells of Neda's last moments
Caspian Makan, the fiance of the young Iranian woman shot last week, tells Al Jazeera of her last moments. "Neda", which is the Farsi word for voice, was allegedly shot dead by a Basij soldier in Tehran last week.
References
Fast Facts
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Killed during the riots in Iran on Saturday, June 20, 2009
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Neda means "voice" in Farsi
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Images of Neda, on posters, were used to symbolically show the horrific violence in Iran
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The video was uploaded online and shared on Twitter
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Full name
Neda Agha Soltan
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27 years old at time of death
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Studied philosophy
