Iran Video Special: Mothers of Victims Sohrab Arabi & Neda Agha Soltan Respond to Ahmadinejad's New York Statements
In his media interviews last week in the US, President Ahmadinejad declared that there were only 33 people who died in violence after the disputed 2009 Presidential election and that most of these were Basij militiamen.
Parvin Fahimi is the mother of Sohrab Arabi, killed on 15 June 2009 by security forces. (She was not told for weeks about the event or where she could find the body of her son.) Interviewed by Masih Alinejad, Fahimi responds to Ahmadinejad's assertion, "My son was not a Basij member or a rebel. My son was patriotic. He was going for his vote and rights. He was a real Iranian." She continues, "Mr Ahmadinejad is lying since he became President of Iran. He is lying all the time."
Hajar Rostami Motlagh is the mother of Neda Agha Soltan, killed by a member of the security forces on 20 June 2009. In New York, Ahmadinejad said, "We have evidence that proves that she was killed after the fact and BBC fabricated the news by editing the footage.”
Motlagh responded to Rooz Online: "I find this gentleman’s remarks comical."