New revelations about the death of Neda Aqa-Soltan, who became a symbol of post-election street rallies in Iran, begin surface.
Neda, 26, became an international icon in recent days after graphic videos of her death grabbed the attention of world media outlets.
She was shot dead on June 20 in an alley away from the scene of clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran.
The man who drove her to hospital said in an interview that her death looked “highly suspicious”, claiming there were no security forces or Basij members nearby.
“People were standing, there were traffic, and people were walking by. Suddenly I saw a girl put her hand on her chest and fall down, and blood was coming out of her mouth and nose,” he said.
The claims have added to the confusion already surrounding the shooting, which has been blamed upon Iranian security forces by the Western media hype.
Her death first became suspicious after revelations that she was killed by a small caliber pistol -- a weapon that is not used by Iranian security forces.
Iranian security forces have dismissed the reports out of hand, asserting that they did not open fire on protestors during the sporadic unrest.
“Policemen are not authorized to use weapons against people,” Tehran Police Chief Azizallah Rajabzadeh said on the morrow of Neda's death.
However, conflicting accounts by a doctor who claimed he tried to save Aqa Soltan's life in her final moments have further complicated the matter.
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