General

From the chaos of Tehran, one woman’s death becomes a symbol

The story of Neda Agha-Soltan

From among the many pieces of outlaw video streamed out of Iran these days, perhaps the most heart-wrenching is the cellphone clip of a young woman bleeding to death as a companion shouts “Neda, Neda!” This feature article tells the story of Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, who was shot dead Saturday near a clash between pro-government militias and demonstrators protesting the allegedly fraudulent reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. So potent is Neda’s image in Tehran that security forces told her family not to hold memorial services and to remove black mourning banners in front of their house. Witnesses said she was shot by a plainclothes security official or militiamen, rather than a uniformed police officer or soldier.

Los Angeles Times

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