Zahra Jalilian had told her mother: ‘I have made a discovery that could win the Nobel Prize in Physics.’
Seven months after the suspicious death of Zahra Jalilian, an elite student at the Faculty of Engineering at Tehran University and a physics prodigy, her family and lawyer told the semi-official newspaper “Etemad Online” that the university had declared the cause of death as suicide without any evidence. Despite having 13 cameras in the building, security never showed them the footage from the CCTV.
Zahra Jalilian, 32, from Eslamabad-e Gharb, was an outstanding student in the doctoral program of electrical engineering at the University of Tehran and a pioneer in nanoelectronics. She successfully defended her doctoral thesis and comprehensive examination with a GPA of 19.50 (out of 20). Zahra Jalilian was responsible for reviewing 30 international papers abroad.
She received many invitations and emails from European countries, indicating that her national significance transcended beyond the boundaries of domestic scientific institutions. Notably, she received a prestigious scholarship from Germany.
On December 2, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Zahra Jalilian entered her office, and at 10:30, she was taken by an ambulance to Shariati Hospital. This physics prodigy passed away after a few hours at the hospital.
Remarks by Zahra Jalilian’s brother
The family of Zahra Jalilian states that the Tehran University officials, hastily and without reliable sources, declared the cause of the incident suicide through various interviews with the media. They did so even when she was still alive and had not yet passed away.
The brother of Zahra Jalilian says, “The problem is that the university authorities and security claim that they don’t have the footage from the cameras. There are no witnesses to testify that Zahra committed suicide. There is a small room next to the building’s entrance where security personnel are present. The security personnel themselves say that at that moment, they were not in their room but had gone to another floor to bring tea.
“Everything happened such that they announced without evidence that my sister threw herself from the ground floor to the basement. The height from the ground floor to the basement is approximately three meters. How could Zahra, with a height of 165 centimeters, sustain such severe injuries from the fall? The forensic medical reports indicate a ruptured spleen. The spleen is not a part that is easily injured or ruptured.
“Zahra was working on a critical project, although she was also involved in other projects. It is evident that Zahra was murdered, and we have no doubt about it. The only thing that remains unclear is the motive behind the murder and the person or persons responsible for it. According to the forensic medical reports, there were scratches on my sister’s hands. Still, the university does not intend to investigate the matter. There has been no cooperation from the university with various organizations so far.”
Remarks by Zahra Jalilian’s mother
Zahra Jalilian’s mother wrote in a letter: “Our only daughter was an exceptionally bright and joyful girl from her early childhood. We can never recall when difficulties and challenges discouraged her from pursuing a task. On the contrary, she put in even more effort and determination as the obstacles grew. She held great value in her thoughts and actions.
“After completing her Master’s degree, she completed her studies in solid-state physics. She could have pursued a Ph.D. in solid-state physics without taking the entrance exam. Still, she decided to take the exam and was accepted with the top rank in nanoelectronics. She completed her Ph.D. in nanoelectronics in just three semesters and reviewed 35 international papers.
“In July 2021, Zahra’s article on a subject that posed a challenge to scientists worldwide and had remained unsolved was approved. Despite this achievement, the situation did not progress as desired. The device she used to analyze her samples was broken (by some individuals), leading to a temporary halt in her work. Eventually, her article was accepted in the most prestigious international journal. Zahra had made a significant breakthrough, but her happiness was short-lived with her untimely death.
“Forensic medical reports confirm the presence of injuries to her abdomen, hip, head, and spinal cord, as well as severe blows to her liver, kidneys, and a ruptured spleen. Although the building had 13 cameras, the university authorities never provided us with the camera footage. They told the Judicial authorities that the cameras had been non-functional for several months and had not captured any footage.
“Two nights before the incident, Zahra had confided in us and one of her friends, saying, ‘I have made a discovery that would win the Nobel Prize in Physics. I fear that if someone finds out, they might forcibly take it from me or otherwise harm me.’”
