Mona Naqib

Mona Naqib (March 31, 2014 – October 23, 2022)

Mona Naqib, an 8-year-old schoolgirl, died on October 23, 2022, in the village of Aspich in Sistan and بلوچستان Province, during the events surrounding the 2022 protests in Iran. According to reports, she was shot while on her way to school with her older sister.
On the morning of the incident, around 6:30 a.m., Mona and her sister Maryam were walking to school. Near their neighborhood, a shooting occurred between two vehicles. During this exchange of gunfire, a bullet struck Mona in the neck, hitting a vital artery. She collapsed to the ground, and when her sister asked why she had fallen, Mona replied, “I was shot.”
Maryam immediately picked her up and contacted their family. Mona was taken toward Razi Hospital in Saravan, but she died either on the way or shortly after arrival. Her body was buried a few hours later.
Different accounts have been presented regarding the cause of the shooting. According to the family and some local sources, the incident resulted from a gunfight between two civilian vehicles. It was reported that one of the vehicles, a black Peugeot, fired shots at another car, and one of those bullets hit Mona.
In contrast, local officials, including the governor of Saravan, denied any involvement by government forces and suggested that the shooting may have been related to disputes involving drug trafficking. Authorities later stated that the suspected perpetrators were identified and arrested.
Mona’s family has maintained their account, emphasizing that she was an innocent victim of a violent and unsafe situation. Her father stated that Mona was the seventh of eight children in the family, whose livelihood depended on agriculture and the work of the children.
The emotional impact on the family, especially her mother, has been described as profound. Her mother, however, has reportedly framed the loss as fate and has refrained from further public statements.
This incident is one of several reported cases involving the deaths of children during the unrest in Iran in 2022, an issue that has received significant attention in media and public discourse.