Negin Ghadimi, a young bio-electrical engineer, was shot dead while taking part in anti-government demonstrations in her hometown of Tonekabon, Iran, last week. Her untimely death has had a devastating impact on her family. It has united the Iranian diaspora, bringing renewed attention to their fight for freedom and reform. Negin hopes to be “the voice of the voiceless Iranians.” She represents the aspirations of all those who are seeking freedom and democracy from a tyrannical theocratic regime that continues to brutally crush any opposition.
Her father, who was with her when she was killed, is said to have told Negin, “My daughter, we can return. However, she had responded with determination, stating, “We don’t have anything to lose, father. We need to go forward.” This conversation underscores the unique challenges they faced. It highlights Negin’s indefatigable spirit in fighting for her cause.
Her uncle, Morteza Khandani, was the one who got the tragic news of Negin’s death. It is his firm conviction that in the absence of a regime change in Iran, it will be a “huge tragedy.” As he remembered her, lamenting their overwhelming sense of loss with this line, “We are feeling totally crushed.” The tragic circumstances surrounding her passing have made a lasting impact on her family and friends.
A Life Cut Short
Negin Ghadimi was a brilliant bio-electrical engineer. She harbored ambitious plans of moving to Australia. She was on the cusp of winning this one. Through direct action participation in protests against the Iranian regime, she fought for justice and equality in her home country. Tragically, she lost her life during these very demonstrations.
Iranian Canadian journalist Samira Mohyeddin describes receiving a deeply alarming phone call from a friend still in Iran. They painted a picture of a war-like climate with “blood on the streets. This grim portrait serves as a reminder of the real-world repercussions one can face for challenging an autocratic government.
Morteza Khandani shared the circumstances of Negin’s death, showing that she had been shot in the chest with live ammunition. “She got shot from the left flank with live ammunition, [the bullet] leaving her body from her stomach,” he said. Such grave intimation foreshadows the disturbing fates awaiting those who have the audacity to provoke the government’s deeply ingrained status quo of repression in Iran.
The Impact on Family and Community
Like many Iranians, the death of Negin Ghadimi has reverberated through the communities and families of her people. Her uncle Morteza was not just showing support, he was teaching her that all dreams mattered. He shared that she had sought to be a voice for the voiceless amid the Iranian regime. He expressed concern about the future, saying, “The most harrowing news that can come out of Iran would be that this regime stays in power.”
The emotional cost to Negin’s family is unfathomable. Her invaluable work will be sorely missed. Meanwhile, they wrestle with the haunting otherworldly potential of her death — as a martyr of choice, it may become a symbol of resistance to tyranny. On one phone call with Mohyeddin, an acquaintance of Negin’s family described the dire conditions that remain in Iran. They underscored the reality that these protesters are risking their lives, perhaps even their very freedom, to gain that same opportunity.
“The first thing she said to us was, ‘things are very, very bad here.’” – Samira Mohyeddin
Continuing Struggles and Calls for Change
Negin’s brutal killing has re-energized protests and calls to shine a light on Iran’s continuous pattern of human rights abuses. As one long-time observer puts it, the Iranian government views popular dissent as an existential threat. In turn, it responds with harsh, deadly repression of demonstrators. Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert spent more than two years imprisoned in Iran. She noted that governments frequently use shutdowns in order to shield their actions from the eyes of the world.
“There’s no doubt in my mind or in the minds of Iran experts, human rights experts, that Iran will start executing protesters,” Dr. Moore-Gilbert warned. The world is still on fire as people are fighting back against tyranny and dying in the streets.
Morteza Khandani’s sentiments reflect the urgency for change: “This is an existential threat,” he stated regarding the government’s approach towards dissent. The world is watching these events closely as they unfold in Iran.
