Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi said the fatal shooting of four civilians, including a three-year-old girl, by Iranian forces at a checkpoint in central Iran, represents a recurring pattern of deadly state repression in Iran.
“This cycle, this repeating pattern – whose first victims are always children – will only end with the fall of the Islamic Republic,” Ebadi wrote on social media on Sunday, calling the incident “a continuation of state crimes.”
The victims, including Raha Sheikhi, were killed on July 16 when armed forces opened fire on a family vehicle. Authorities have yet to provide public evidence or detailed explanation.
Accusing the government of weaponizing security to suppress its own people after military setbacks abroad, Ebadi likened the killings to the death ofnine-year-old Kian Pirfalak, who was killed during the 2022 anti-government protests when forces opened fire on his family’s car in Izeh, Khuzestan province.
“The regime fears transparency, avoids accountability, and answers with bullets,” she wrote, warning that Iran is being turned into a military zone under the guise of national security.
Public anger is rising in Iran after security forces opened fire on two cars near a military base in Khomein, killing four members of a family — including three-year-old Raha Sheikhi.
Local officials confirmed the deaths of Mohammad-Hossein Sheikhi, his wife Mahboubeh, their daughter Raha, and Farzaneh Heidari, a relative. Authorities say the vehicles were deemed "suspicious," and a judicial probe is underway.
The shooters' affiliation has not been officially disclosed, but social media accounts linked to the family allege that Basij forces were responsible.
