JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli President Shimon Peres met with the fiancé of the late Neda Soltan, whose brutal murder during the 2009 Iranian election protests became a symbol for the opposition.
“I came to Israel as an ambassador of the Iranian people, as a messenger from the camp of peace," Caspian Makin told Peres during their meeting Monday.
Makin had requested the meeting, according to the President’s Office.
“Neda was a progressive person, a freedom fighter, and these traits flowed through her veins. She loved people with every small inch of her soul. Before her murder we spoke a lot about her goals, and we both knew the danger," Makin told Peres.
"After she was murdered, she became a symbol of freedom across the entire world. Her brave and firm protest brought unity to the Iranian people’s struggle, and I hope that her actions will lead to change in the future.”
Soltan’s death by Iranian soldiers attempting to quell a protest was caught on video and seen on the Internet and television stations around the world.
"You can murder a person, but not a spirit," Peres told Makin. "I am glad you gave me the opportunity to express my condolences for your great tragedy, and also mention my great hope for the future.”
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