President: Neda’s Death Suspicious

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked the judiciary chief to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Neda Aqa-Soltan, an Iranian woman who was shot dead in the post-election protests in Tehran.
In a letter to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi on Monday, Ahmadinejad called for a thorough probe into the “suspicious“ death of Neda and apprehend those involved in the killing, Presstv reported.
“Neda Aqa-Soltan was shot dead in one of Tehran’s streets on June 20 by unknown elements under rather suspicious conditions,“ the president said.
“Amid the huge propaganda campaign by the foreign media and many other evidence about the heartfelt incident, it seems certain that opponents of the Iranian people interfere (in Iran’s internal affairs) for their own political ends,“ he added.
Neda, 26, became a symbol of post-election street rallies in Iran and an international icon in recent days after graphic videos of her death grabbed the attention of world media outlets.
Her death drew suspicions first after it was said that she was killed by a small caliber pistol--a weapon that is not used by Iranian security forces.

Different Versions
Meanwhile, new revelations about her death have surfaced in recent days.
Neda was killed on June 20 in an alley away from the scene of clashes between security forces and demonstrators.
The man who drove her to hospital said in an interview that her death looked “highly suspicious“, claiming there were no security forces or Basij members nearby.
“People were standing and there was traffic. Suddenly I saw a girl put her hand on her chest and drop to the ground with blood oozing from her mouth and nose,“ Presstv quoted the unidentified man as saying. It did not elaborate.
His version of the attack has added to the confusion already surrounding the shooting, which has been blamed on the security forces by the western media.
Security officials dismissed the report out of hand and insist that they did not open fire on protestors during the sporadic unrest.
“Police are not authorized to use weapons against the people,“ Tehran police chief Azizullah Rajabzadeh said on the morrow of Neda’s death.
Conflicting accounts by a doctor who said he tried but failed to save Aqa Soltan’s life in her final moments have only raised more questions without answering previous ones. (IRAN DAILY)