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. The people are fully aware of who killed Neda. The first year he was in New York he held up a picture of an Egyptian woman and when they asked him about Neda, he spoke of the Egyptian woman instead. To add insult to injury, last year he claimed that everyone is free and this year he has continued with these ludicrous comments. Every year he goes to the U.S. and says something… How should we respond to these comments? Should we remind him that as the head of a government he should have a conscience? Should we ask him how he can give himself the right to claim that everything has been fabricated? Even if we did, it would be to no avail.”

(Pointing to video of last moments of Neda’s life) What matters is that the nation of Iran and the world at large are aware of the truth and what really occurred. They can continue to say what ever they want to. It is the people’s support that is of importance to me; a nation that has never left us alone and continues to stand with us after two years and three months. I will always be grateful to the kindness of our people. After two years our people continue to visit us, giving us hope and strength. Ahmadinejad can continue to say what ever he wishes. No one believes what he says.