On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, Helen Ahmadi, a seven-year-old girl, became one of the many innocent casualties in Iran’s brutal crackdown on protests for freedom.
The tragic incident unfolded in the northwestern Iranian city of Bukan, situated in the country’s Kurdistan region, known for its rich cultural heritage and a history of resistance against repression.
During a student protest in the Amirabad neighborhood of Bukan, security forces opened fire on the young students as they were leaving school, claiming the life of little Helen, who was trying to return home.
Helen Ahmadi’s death marks a heartbreaking loss in Iran’s ongoing struggle for basic human rights and freedom. She was just a child, unaware of the intense political conflict that ultimately stole her life. Her story reflects countless families in Iran whose lives have been upended by state violence and repression.
To cover up the circumstances of her death, Iranian security forces reportedly pressured Helen’s family to publicly attribute her passing to a “car accident,” rather than a shooting by government forces.
