Mother Fights Iranian Regime After Daughter’s Death in Protest

Sixteen‑year‑old Sevda was shot dead during Iran’s protests – a loss that turned her mother Samira from a non‑political cosmetics saleswoman into a self‑described “one‑woman army” against the regime.

Samira tells BBC Panorama that she “never used to be political” before the day Iranian security forces opened fire on her and her daughter. The fatal shot was fired on 9 January as they took part in massive demonstrations on the outskirts of Tehran that had begun the previous month.

The protests, initially sparked by economic discontent, had escalated into calls for an end to the Islamic Republic. After Sevda’s death, Samira says the authorities “hindered, rather than helped, her search for her daughter’s body,” adding that the ordeal was only the start of ongoing harassment.

Facing continued pressure, Samira made a “dramatic escape from Iran on foot, navigating dangerous mountainous terrain.” She now lives abroad in hiding, insisting there is “no going back” to a normal life.

Determined to hold the perpetrators accountable, she aims to name the security forces members and officials she believes fired the fatal shots. “They’ll bring me to the brink of death before they kill me, but finding me won’t be easy,” she says.

The BBC has spoken to several Iranians since the start of the year; some inside the country still risk speaking out despite the crackdown. The Iranian embassy in London responded to Panorama by claiming that “peaceful and legitimate protests had been hijacked by foreign powers, including the US, which promoted violence, provided weapons and equipment, and compromised public security.”

Samira’s story is part of a broader narrative of Iranians who have endured “the most turbulent and traumatic of years, with widespread street protests, a brutal crackdown by the authorities and a war launched against Iran by the US and Israel.”

View the full interview on BBC One at 20:00 on Monday 2 November 2026.