Setareh Tajik

Setareh Tajik(November 19, 2004 – September 22, 2022)

Setareh Tajik was born on November 19, 2004, in Tehran. She was a 17-year-old girl from an Afghan migrant family who grew up in Iran. She had a deep passion for painting, often depicting motifs such as blue water lilies and bright suns—elements that reflected her sensitive and imaginative view of the world.
On Thursday, September 22, 2022, during the nationwide protests in Iran, Tehran was also the scene of widespread demonstrations and a heavy security presence. In many districts, including Naziabad, citizens gathered in the streets and chanted slogans against the government.
On that day, Setareh was present in Tehran amid these events. According to reported information, she was severely beaten by government security forces. The official forensic report, later reviewed by Amnesty International, stated that her death was caused by “multiple injuries resulting from impact with a hard object.”
Reports indicate that her face and parts of her body were severely damaged. Her death, alongside that of other teenagers such as Mohammadreza Sarvari, drew the attention of human rights organizations. Amnesty International and Afghan diplomatic sources noted that complaints had been filed and that the case was under review.
Public reactions followed. Afghan-Iranian actress Fereshteh Hosseini spoke about the situation of a generation born in Iran yet deprived of belonging and the right to protest—caught between “here” and “there.” On social media, users shared accounts emphasizing the violence and repression surrounding Setareh’s death.
Alongside official reports, literary narratives also emerged to portray her life and death. In these accounts, she appears as a young artist seeking refuge in painting amid fear and uncertainty. Recurring elements such as wind, a half-open window, scattered colors, and a canvas reflect the atmosphere of her life.
In one such narrative, Setareh is alone at home, painting while the sounds of protests echo from outside. Within her art, she creates a personal world, yet this inner space gradually merges with the reality beyond her window. The voices of the streets, chants, and movement draw her outside.
Eventually, she steps into the alley, where walls are covered with words like “freedom.” With brush and paint, she attempts to contribute, to complete what others have begun, and to express herself collectively. However, the arrival of security forces turns the moment into violence.
During the confrontation, Setareh is beaten. Accounts describe her body collapsing under the ضربات, while she still holds her brush. The final images are of a girl surrounded by color and pain, falling to the ground.
After the incident, her family returns to an empty home marked by traces of her presence: an unfinished canvas, scattered paints, and the remnants of a life abruptly interrupted. Their reaction—grief and disbelief—becomes part of the narrative of her loss.
Setareh Tajik’s death is recorded alongside the deaths of dozens of other children and teenagers during the 2022 protests in Iran. By December 2022, reports indicated that more than 70 minors had been killed in the course of these events.
Her story, preserved through both factual reporting and literary retellings, serves as an attempt to remember her—a girl who lived between two worlds, “here” and “there,” and ultimately lost her life in the place she called home.