Mowlavi Abdolhamid Calls for 'Impartial' Investigation by Iranian Government into Nika Shakeri's Murder Case

Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, called for an 'impartial' investigation by the Iranian judicial system into the murder case of Nika Shakeri during his Friday sermon on May 3. He referred to the 'wide reflection' of a recent report regarding Nika Shakeri's murder in Iran and stated that it is the government's and judiciary's duty to handle this case 'impartially' and provide transparency about it. The Sunni Imam advised the officials of the Islamic Republic to address all cases related to the murders of Iranian girls in government detention centers during the 'Mahsa uprising' in an 'impartial' manner. According to Mowlavi Abdolhamid, anyone who commits a crime, regardless of their position, should be held accountable. He added that if someone has committed murder, they should face retribution, and if they have committed torture or sexual assault, they should be punished according to the laws of the Islamic Republic. Mowlavi Abdolhamid emphasized that if a government does not start implementing law and justice from itself, it will never be able to establish it in society. BBC World reported on Monday, May 1, that it had obtained documents showing that Nika Shakeri, a 16-year-old Iranian protester, was sexually assaulted and killed by agents during widespread protests in Iran in late September 2022. The British government-owned network also stressed that the basis of its claim is a 'highly confidential' report from a hearing session of 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. The publication of this BBC report about torture, sexual abuse, and ultimately the murder of Nika Shakeri has been met with a wave of condemnation among the Iranian public and prominent activists, as well as international organizations and countries around the world. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department described the BBC report on Nika Shakeri's murder as 'horrific' and emphasized the need for an investigation by a United Nations fact-finding mission in this regard. The spokesperson, in response to a request from VOA via email, referred to Nika Shakeri's 'tragic death' as an affront to human rights and stated regarding the BBC report on this incident: 'We cannot confirm the authenticity of the documents that are said to have been leaked, but the information gathered in the BBC's investigations is horrific, and it is essential that the fact-finding mission continues its investigations into the horrific records of human rights violations that continue to occur in Iran, including Nika Shakeri's death.' They also noted that the U.S. has been closely monitoring the killings, beatings, torture, and acts of sexual violence against protesters by the Iranian regime in 2022 and 2023, condemning the brutal murder of Nika Shakeri and the indescribable treatment of many other young girls and peaceful protesters of all ages. This State Department spokesperson emphasized the United States' ongoing commitment to supporting the human rights of the Iranian people and holding accountable those responsible for these crimes, stating: 'Our approach to the Islamic Republic has taken 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 mission 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, in addition to other human rights mechanisms regarding Iran, that will certainly address the documents from the BBC if they are submitted to them.' In this context, Prince Reza Pahlavi reacted to the new report published by BBC World about the sexual assault and murder of Nika Shakeri on social media, stating: 'The perpetrators of the crime against Nika Shakeri, and the main responsible party, Ali Khamenei, will be brought to justice.' He further wrote: 'We stand alongside Nika's esteemed mother and her brave sister Aida Shakeri, who have continued their fight for freedom despite all threats and pressures.' Hamed Esmaeilioun, a plaintiff in the case of the Ukrainian passenger plane shot down by IRGC missiles, reacted to the report on how Nika Shakeri was killed, stating: 'There is neither forgiveness nor forgetting. The ruthless and criminal killers of you will be punished.' Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the late Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who was killed in detention during interrogation, wrote on social media: 'Today I saw the report of the murder of my young daughter Nika Shakeri. The tears in my eyes do not dry, and my heart is shattered. It feels like Sattar (Beheshti) and Mohammad (Mohammad Hosseini) were killed before my eyes again! The hands of this regime are stained with the blood of Nika and my other children.' Masih Alinejad, a journalist and human rights activist, also emphasized: 'Brave Nika, even when caught by Khamenei's savage guards, fought them alone, fought, fought. She did not beg the invading guards for mercy, she kicked, she screamed, and this is how they recognized the true leader of the battlefield and feared that she might incite a rebellion in the entire prison with her authority, and out of fear, they killed her.' She stated that 'the Islamic Republic fears fighters and leaders who do not beg Khamenei's guards for the rights of a nation,' adding: 'Shame on us if we forgive the killers of Nika and Sarina.' During the violent crackdown on peaceful protests against the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, over 500 Iranian citizens, including women and children, were killed by armed agents of the Islamic Republic, and thousands more were injured or detained. Western countries, led by the United States, have imposed several sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for these crackdowns in response to the deadly suppression of peaceful Iranian protesters following the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini by the Islamic Republic, promising to continue their strong support for the rights to freedom of expression and assembly of the Iranian people, as well as the right of Iranian women to choose their attire.