'I couldn't be silent': Iranian teen's mother seeking justice after daughter shot dead

A grieving Iranian mother has spoken of her determination to confront the country's regime after her teenage daughter was shot dead during protests on the outskirts of Tehran. Samira, whose daughter Sevda was killed while demonstrating, says she could not stay quiet in the face of her loss. Her story is told in a BBC Panorama documentary that follows her campaign for answers and accountability from the authorities. The killing of Sevda came in a year that has seen ordinary Iranians' lives upended by widespread protests, government crackdowns and war, according to the BBC. The Panorama programme documents the human cost of that turmoil through the experience of one family. Samira's decision to speak out publicly marks a significant personal risk, given the Iranian authorities' documented hostility toward dissent. The documentary follows her as she takes on the regime in the wake of her daughter's death. Details surrounding the circumstances of Sevda's killing, including who fired the fatal shot and whether any official investigation has taken place, were not disclosed in the material released ahead of the broadcast. The programme adds to ongoing international coverage of the protests in Iran and the state response to them. BBC Panorama has previously examined the impact of conflict and political repression on civilians, and the new film continues that focus through a single family's experience of loss. The documentary, titled with Samira's own words, 'I couldn't be silent', is available on BBC iPlayer and World output, and positions the mother's quest for justice against the wider backdrop of a country in upheaval.