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.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
