The commander of Iran’s Basij has said that Neda Agha Soltan, who after her death became the symbol of Iran’s Green movement, was killed by someone from the United States.
“Someone from America killed a young woman during the recent Tehran unrest and Western media shout that Iran’s government is her killer,” Mohammad Reza Baghid said on November 23, without providing any more details.
Earlier this month, a
group of female Basij members described a physician, Arash Hejazi, who tried to save Neda as her murderer and called for his extradition. Hejazi is currently studying in Britain.
Hejazi has come under fire from the Iranian government for saying that it was a member of Iran’s Basij that shot her in the chest. He has said that the Basij member was detained by the crowd, who took away his ID card.
Neda's father told RFE/RL's Radio Farda broadcaster Roya Karim on November 24 that witnesses have named person who killed Neda as Javid Kargar.
Iranian officials have never publicly commented on the claims about Kargar. But Neda’s father said that they have told the family that the person who killed Neda was not connected to the government. Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has described Neda’s death as suspicious.
Some members of the opposition have suggested that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei should be held accountable for the death of Neda because of what has been described as his green light on June 19 to security forces to crackdown on protesters.
A day later, more than a dozen protesters were killed including Neda whose
last moments were captured on a cellphone camera and viewed by millions of people around the globe.
-- Golnaz Esfandiari