USA: Hadis Najafi, an Iranian influencer, was shot six times by Iranian security forces during protests, killing her.
According to Sunday reports, Hadis Najafi, an Iranian woman in her twenties, was shot dead by Iranian police during the country's protests, heightening tensions as Najafi becomes the newest face of the revolt.
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According to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and women's rights activist, Iranian security forces shot Najafi six times during the riots, wounding her in the abdomen, neck, heart, and hand. She was taken to Ghaem Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on September 21.
Najafi, a popular TikTok and Instagram user, posted a video last Wednesday in which she is seen tying her unshaved hair before confronting police in the Tehran suburb of Karaj. All women in Iran are required to wear a headscarf as part of their mandatory dress code.
This is the funeral of 20 year old #HadisNajafi, who was shot dead on the streets by security forces for protesting yhe murder of #MahsaAmini by Hijab Police. Hadis was a kind hearted girl and loved dancing. pic.twitter.com/tduxVe1SZf
— Masih Alinejad ????️ (@AlinejadMasih) September 25, 2022
On Sunday, a video of Najafi's family crying in front of her grave began circulating on social media. "This is Hadis Najafi's funeral... who was shot in the street by security forces for protesting," Alinejad tweeted.
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The announcement of Najafi's death on Sunday evening fueled the flames of protest that began on September 16 at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after being arrested in Tehran by the country's "morality police" for "incorrectly" wearing her required head covering.
The social media hashtags #HadisNajafi and #MahsaAmini show previously unseen images of Tehran's streets, where many women are rebelling against the power that is in place and the many restrictions, including clothing, that it imposes.
Iranian women are seen in protest videos burning their headscarves or cutting their hair in public. Angry crowds can also be seen, calling for the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to be deposed, as people ransack statues and posters of regime figures.
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In ten days of protests, 41 people were killed, according to an official Iranian toll. However, the death toll is likely to be higher, with at least 57 protesters killed, according to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights.
Furthermore, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran reported that 1,800 people had been arrested in Tehran alone, while protests rage across the country in 31 provinces.