On Saturday, January 25, 2025, the city of Bukan, western Iran, witnessed a large gathering and widespread protests by its residents. The demonstrations were sparked by the news of a young girl’s death due to torture and sexual assault. Participants demanded justice and punishment for the perpetrators of this tragedy.
On the night of Thursday, January 16, 2025, a 7-year-old girl was brought to the emergency room of Bukan Hospital by her father, showing signs of reduced consciousness and drug poisoning. Niyan Chaliyani, a resident of the Zibashahr neighborhood in Bukan, had severe bruises, burns on her body, and heavy bleeding. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was transferred to a hospital in Urmia, the capital of West Azerbaijan Province.
She passed away on Friday, January 17, 2025, in a hospital in Urmia due to the severity of her injuries.
According to Nasser Atabati, Chief Justice of West Azerbaijan Province, speaking on January 20, 2025, Niyan had been living with her father following her parents’ separation. However, her father had entered into a relationship with a woman some time ago. The abuse and tragic death of the child occurred with the involvement of this woman and her 19-year-old brother.
The mullahs’ regime is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, yet it takes no action to protect or ensure the rights and lives of children in Iran, particularly the rights and safety of young girls. The lack of criminalization of child abuse and the imposition of disproportionate penalties for offenders have contributed to the spread of this phenomenon in Iran. Child abuse, especially the abuse of young girls, ranks among the most prevalent social harms in the country.
