Sarina Esmailzadeh's death at 16 became a symbol of state violence against protesters during Iran's 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising.
Key Facts
- Date of death
- 23 September 2022
- Age at death
- 16 years old
- Official cause claimed
- Suicide by jumping from rooftop (disputed)
- Human rights finding
- Severe beating on the head by security forces
- Location
- Karaj, Alborz province, Iran
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Esmailzadeh participated in the nationwide Mahsa Amini protests that erupted in Iran in September 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. Security forces deployed violent measures against demonstrators across multiple cities, including Karaj in Alborz province.
On 23 September 2022, 16-year-old Sarina Esmailzadeh died in Karaj after, according to human rights organizations, being struck severely on the head by Iranian security forces during the protests. Authorities disputed this, claiming she died by suicide after jumping from a rooftop, a claim rejected by rights groups.
Her death, alongside that of Nika Shakarami under similarly disputed circumstances, elevated both teenagers to symbols of the protest movement. Their images appeared on banners at demonstrations and on posters across Iranian cities. Hackers interrupted a state-run news broadcast to display pictures of Esmailzadeh and other women killed during the unrest.