Asal Jazideh, a victim of the protests: Seeking justice has changed my life like an 'unquenchable fire'

Asal Jazideh, one of the protesters who was shot by the Islamic Republic's security forces during the nationwide protests of 2022, shared images of herself detailing her experiences and announced that she has left Iran for treatment. She states that on October 1, 2022, she went to Rasht with her mother to participate in protests against the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, and as a result of direct gunfire from the Islamic Republic's security forces, she lost her left eye. Asal Jazideh mentions that she has not yet been able to remove two pellets from her right eye and has also suffered damage to her teeth. Warning: This image may be distressing to you. To see, click here. Asal Jazideh, a teenage victim of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces in the eye of a protester. She says that influenced by the protests of November 2019, the execution of Navid Afkari, and the downing of Flight PS752, her quest for justice and revolution has changed the course of her life like an unquenchable fire. She refers to the '2022 Revolution' as a 'hope and miracle' that provided her the opportunity to 'fight' for 'justice, accountability, and the overthrow of the criminal regime.' Asal Jazideh recounts that on October 1, after the protests began in front of the University of Basic Sciences, her mother, Mitra Tahernajad, engaged with security forces while trying to help a girl, and after seeing her mother fall to the ground, she threw 'pebbles' at the officers, who responded with gunfire. Initially thinking that tear gas or a sound bomb had exploded in front of her, she was returned home in that condition due to fear of possible arrest at the hospital and went to see a doctor the next day for an eye examination. She underwent surgery, but because the bullet had hit her skull, they could not remove it, and there was no chance of regaining her vision. Two months after that surgery, she discovered that a bullet was lodged just millimeters from the retina of her right eye and required urgent surgery. She underwent another operation, and the bullet was removed from her right eye, but two bullets remained in her right eye, and 'the danger is not completely eliminated.' She underwent two more surgeries on her left eye, the first for complete evacuation and the second for a prosthesis. This teenage victim of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces says that afterward, she developed a phobia of loud noises, crowds, and motorcycles and was afraid to even leave the house. She mentions that she still covers the left side of her face with her hair and that her vision has diminished due to cataracts and the two pellets still in her right eye. Asal Jazideh, a teenage victim of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces. Asal Jazideh, noting that 'I feel pain and burning to the depths of my being,' added: 'I wish our lives were different, and we did not have to endure so much pain to obtain our most basic rights.' This teenage victim of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces added: 'I wish we did not have to fight at an age when we should be children and pay the heaviest price. If I could go back to the past, I would still go (maybe I would wear safety glasses, for example, you should not forget to wear them). I have no regrets. I believe in women, life, freedom, the people, and this revolution.' Mitra Tahernajad, Asal Jazideh's mother, also shared several images detailing the incident of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces against her teenage daughter. Mitra Tahernajad, a protester injured in the protests and mother of Asal Jazideh, a teenage victim of the deliberate shooting by the Islamic Republic's security forces. Ms. Tahernajad noted the impact of past protests on her daughter, stating that after witnessing 'Asal's sobs' and her daughter's insistence on joining the protests against the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, 'I told her wherever you go, let’s go together so I can keep an eye on you.' Asal's mother recounts that after the officers attacked a female student and her attempt to save her, she realized that pellets had hit Asal's face and 'her front teeth were broken, and her eyes, face, and head were full of pellets.' Ms. Tahernajad, who also lost hair from a bullet wound and had blood on her clothes, said: 'When I came to, my daughter hugged me and said even if I lose one eye, as long as you are alive and not arrested, I am satisfied and have no complaints.' She added that due to the urgent need for treatment for Asal's right eye and addressing a pellet in her own head and neck, they had no choice but to leave Iran. Ms. Tahernajad concluded by mentioning numerous calls from 'private numbers,' stating: 'For the freedom of all political prisoners, for the freedom of the people of Iran, for reclaiming our rights, we will stand together in the name of women, life, freedom.'