Golnar Samsamee; Shot Directly to the Head

A relative of Golnar Samsamee, who died on Sunday, November 17, as a result of a gunshot wound in Shahr-i-Rey, told Human Rights Campaign in Iran in an interview that a bullet struck her head and shattered her brain.

A video circulated on social networks showing a woman who has fallen to the ground and blood spilled on the ground. People have gathered around her and a man says “her head is pierced and she died.” On social networks, the video of Golnar Samsamee’s killing has been compared with the video of Neda Agha-Soltan’s killing in the post-2009 election protests. A relative of Golnar Samsamee told the campaign that this is her video on Valiasr Street in Shahr-i-Rey, where while returning from work, standing with her colleague waiting for a taxi, she was shot in the head.

There is no accurate count of the number of those killed in last week’s protests in Iran. Islamic Republic officials are reluctant to provide official figures on deaths and detentions. Amnesty International has cited the death toll in these protests at least 208 people, and the Keleme website has confirmed that at least 366 people were killed in Iran’s recent protests.

Human Rights Campaign in Iran announced in a statement that the use of violence by Iranian officials against protesters in Iran, including the use of firearms and weapons, has resulted in the death of hundreds of people, and these government actions are a clear and unjustifiable violation of international law and must stop immediately.

According to one of her relatives, Golnar Samsamee worked in a laboratory in Rudaki Lane on Valiasr Street in Shahr-i-Rey. She was 34 years old, had an 8-year-old son, and lived in Fardis, Karaj. “Golnar, after closing the laboratory, was standing with her colleague at the intersection of that laboratory lane, waiting for a taxi to go home but never returned home. The person who shot her targeted her from the top of a building and it is very important for us to catch her killer. We need to understand who it was and why? Now whether it is Iran’s government, hypocrites or anyone else, Golnar’s family wants to know how someone was able to target and kill an innocent woman who was just standing waiting for a car to come?”

He told the campaign: “If they want to really identify Golnar’s killer, they can find him very easily. The bullet remained in Golnar’s head, from the type of bullet they can understand what kind of weapon it was and this type of weapon is in the hands of whom, and from where Golnar was standing they clearly shot from the top of the adjacent buildings.”

Golnar Samsamee was transferred to Sajjad Hospital after being shot. One of her relatives says: “Golnar’s colleague came to her family and informed them. At the hospital, they said she had suffered brain death and would not give her body. They said you must go to the Medical Examiner’s Office. There too they wanted the prosecutor’s letter and said they sent the body to Kahrīz. It seems they had orders not to hand over bodies in those early days. Eventually, by following up and with a prosecutor’s letter on Thursday, November 30, Golnar’s body was handed over and the funeral and burial ceremony was held. No particular problems occurred and although officers were present but there was nothing they could do and everything was done as the family wished. They cooperated greatly with the family because Golnar was innocent and the family had said from the beginning that they wanted Golnar to be declared a martyr.”

He told the campaign that on Golnar Samsamee’s death certificate “gunshot wound” is mentioned: “The prosecutor, his deputy, the head of the Basij, and the Friday prayer leader of Shahr-i-Rey came to visit Golnar’s family, offered condolences, and said they were following up to find the killer. The family also said that Golnar was at work and was martyred on her way to work. Being a martyr while working means you are working for your family, serving society, and this is considered martyrdom everywhere in the world. The family has filed a complaint and wants Golnar’s killer to be identified and after filing the complaint also requested that she be declared a martyr. Because she was innocent and served her family and society, she was not in demonstrations or anything.”

According to one of Golnar Samsamee’s relatives, they had approached her family from Channel 5 of Iran’s state radio and television for an interview, but her family said, “You cannot cure our pain. What mattered was that she is gone and no one can bring her back.”

Source: Human Rights Campaign in Iran