Exclusive; The U.S. Calls Reports on the Murder of Nika Shakeri 'Horrific' and Demands UN Investigative Committee

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department on Thursday, May 2, described the BBC report on the murder of Nika Shakeri as 'horrific' and emphasized the need for an investigation by the UN fact-finding committee in this regard. In response to a request from Voice of America via email, the spokesperson referred to the 'tragic death of Nika Shakeri' as an affront to human rights and wrote about the BBC's global report on this incident: 'We cannot confirm the authenticity of documents that are said to have been leaked, but the information collected in the BBC's investigations is horrific and it is essential that the fact-finding committee continues its investigations into the horrific record of human rights violations that continue to occur in Iran, including the death of Nika Shakeri.' He also noted the supportive actions of the United States regarding human rights in Iran, stating: 'We have closely monitored the killings, beatings, torture, and acts of sexual violence against protesters by the Iranian regime in 2022 and 2023, and at the time of Nika Shakeri's death, we condemned her brutal murder and the indescribable treatment of many other young girls and peaceful protesters of all ages.' This spokesperson emphasized the ongoing commitment of the United States to support the human rights of the people of Iran and to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes, noting: 'Our approach to the Islamic Republic takes various forms, including the successful removal of the Iranian regime from the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the extension of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and the UN fact-finding committee on the human rights situation in Iran.' Stephen Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, also described the BBC's account of how Nika Shakeri was killed during the protests in 2022 as 'very, very concerning' and stated: 'There is a special rapporteur as well as other human rights mechanisms regarding Iran, which will definitely address the BBC's documents if they are submitted to them.' Additionally, the BBC reported on Monday, May 1, that it had obtained documents indicating that Nika Shakeri, a 16-year-old Iranian protester, was raped and killed by agents during nationwide protests in late September 2022. This government-owned network also emphasized that the basis for its claim was a 'highly confidential' report from a hearing on Nika Shakeri's case by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the names of her killers and senior commanders who tried to cover up the truth.