Mother of slain Iranian woman who become protest icon seeks international pressure for justice

Mother of slain Iranian protester seeks justice

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The mother of a slain Iranian woman who became an icon for opposition protesters says she has no doubt pro-government forces were to blame.

Hajar Rostami is appealing to human rights groups and international bodies to demand a full probe into the June 20, 2009, shooting of Neda Agha Soltan, whose dying moments were captured on video and posted on the Internet. Her death quickly became a rallying point for demonstrators claiming massive election fraud.

In comments released Monday by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Rostami denounces Iranian authorities for trying to portray her daughter’s death as a suicide or an opposition plot to discredit the Islamic state. No one has been publicly charged in the shooting.