Nika Shakarami (born in 2005, died September 2022) was a 16-year-old teenager who became a powerful symbol in the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. She loved to draw — reportedly, she could sketch a person’s face accurately after just seeing them once. Her mother, Nasrin Shakarami, strongly rejects this version. She says that forensic evidence showed severe trauma to Nika’s head (broken skull, fractured teeth) consistent with being beaten. According to the family, her body was taken away, buried secretly, and they were pressured to accept the official narrative.
Nika quickly became a symbol of defiance, especially among young Iranians and protesters. Her act of publicly burning her headscarf was bold, and the fact that she went missing turned her into a powerful martyr figure. Her story closely followed that of Mahsa Amini, and in the context of the protests, her death became another rallying cry. Her mother has spoken publicly and emotionally about her loss, calling Nika “fearless” and describing her as having a “fighter’s spirit.”
