The shocking case of Iranian teenager Nika Shakarami has come to light in a new documentary by BBC Eye, titled Nika’s Last Breath. According to a leaked official document obtained by the BBC, Nika was sexually assaulted and killed by Iran’s security forces during the anti-government protests in September 2022.
Nika, just 16 years old, attended a protest in Tehran where she became a symbol of resistance after images of her burning hijabs circulated among protesters. However, she never made it back home, and her body was discovered in a mortuary over a week later. Iranian authorities claimed she died by suicide, but her mother, Nasrin Shakarami, refused to accept this explanation.
The leaked document, believed to be from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reveals a chilling account of Nika’s final moments. It alleges that she was hunted down, sexually assaulted, and brutally murdered by undercover agents working for Iran’s security forces. The BBC spent months verifying the details in the document, confirming that Nika’s death was not a suicide as officially claimed.
Nika’s Last Breath combines documentary evidence, animation, and drama to reconstruct the tragic events leading to her death. The BBC approached the Iranian government for a response to the allegations, but they did not provide any comment.
The documentary is now available for viewing on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on the BBC World Service YouTube channel internationally. Nika’s Last Breath sheds light on the dark reality of state violence and the fight for justice in Iran.