Neda's Boyfriend Speaks

Her murder captivated the world, and Neda Agha Soltan's boyfriend is now speaking with The Guardian about his imprisonment and terrifying escape from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran. Caspian Malkan had plans to marry Neda and after her death, he said, the Iranian government went after her family and friends. Caspian was imprisoned for two months by Iran's secret police. He was released in September before a trial—potentially another of the many show trials that have followed the June 12 protests—and he soon fled. Caspian said of his murdered girlfriend, "I used to tell her 'You are no fan of [Mir Houssein] Mousavi.' She said 'You're right, I am not, but I like his followers. They are asking for their rights. It's not just about one man.'"