Slain protestor becomes symbol of Iranian unrest
Images of female protestor shot by Revolutionary Guards' sniper become icon of civil unrest in post-presidential elections Iran
Iranian web users uploaded hundreds of photos and videos capturing the true nature of the Tehran riots, which swept through the city after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner of last week's presidential elections.
Opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi claimed the results were falsified and hundreds of people took to the streets in protest.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Revolutionary Guards have been ordered to stifle the protests, which so far have claimed dozens of lives, but a recent, disturbing Youtube video has captured the world's attention: It shows a young woman suffering a fatal gunshot wound to the chest during a rally, for no reason whatsoever, and goes on to capture the moment of her death.
Moment of impact (Screenshot: Youtube)
The video was captured by a bystander and shows other protestors rush to the girl's aid, but to no avail. Neda ("Voice" in Farsi), as she has been dubbed, died within minutes.
Neda was shot by a Basij sniper – a volunteer militia of the Revolutionary Guards. The ayatollah had ordered a clampdown on local and foreign media, but the Opposition has been able to post the video on the internet.
Iranian authorities have yet to comment on the young woman's death.
