Defacing Neda

Supporters of the Iranian Government have used the grave of Neda Soltan, the young woman killed during protests in June who became a symbol of opposition, as target practise. “Photographs obtained by The Times show that the black marble slab on which her face is engraved has been pockmarked by bullets even though security agents guard the grave around the clock to prevent it from becoming a martyr’s shrine. Ms Soltan’s family put the new tombstone in place on December 14 after the previous one was smashed in mid-November. Her parents discovered the fresh damage on December 31 — five days after The Times named their daughter its Person of the Year. ‘They didn’t just shoot her once. They continue to shoot at Neda to this day by desecrating her grave,’ Ms Soltan’s fiancé, Caspian Makan, said. Mr Makan was imprisoned and beaten after her death caused the regime embarrassment and fled the country.”