Iran: schoolgirl dies after getting beaten up by soldiers for not singing pro-regime song, say reports

Even as anger simmers in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian schoolgirl has reportedly died after being beaten up by security forces. The incident took place when security forces tried to force the students to sing a song in support of the country's Islamist regime, but the students refused.

This happened at the Shahed girls' high school in Ardabil on 13 October 2022. At least 7 students were injured, and 10 were arrested, according to BBC. 15-year-old Asra Panahi was one of the students who was beaten up, and she later died, according to the Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates.

Officials later denied that the schoolgirl died due to violence by security forces. A man claiming to be Asra Panahi's uncle reportedly said that she died due to a congenital heart condition.

Iran has been seeing fierce protests since September 2022 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was violently assaulted for not wearing a hijab properly.