6Rang Calls for an Independent Investigation into the Suspicious Death of Liana, a 17-Year-Old Trans Girl in Shiraz

6Rang (Iranian LGBT+ Network) is deeply saddened by the suspicious death of Liana (officially registered as Arta Miri), a 17-year-old trans girl from Shiraz, and calls for an independent investigation into the cause and circumstances of her death and any individuals who may bear responsibility.

27 August 2026

According to people close to Liana who have provided information to 6Rang, she had endured years of violence, humiliation and severe psychological pressure within her family because of her gender identity, appearance and self-expression.

Her family has reportedly attributed her death to a “stroke.” However, given the reported history of abuse and information and documentation made available to 6Rang, we believe the circumstances surrounding her death require independent investigation. At this stage, 6Rang cannot independently establish the medical cause of Liana’s death.

Liana had documented some of the abuse and family confrontations herself and shared recordings with people close to her. According to information received by 6Rang, she was subjected to physical and verbal abuse, restrictions on leaving home and seeing friends, and persistent attempts to suppress her gender expression. She also faced harassment and ridicule while attending a boys’ school.

Liana had also spoken about experiencing sexual abuse as a child and, according to those close to her, did not receive the protection and support she needed from her family.

Yet Liana was much more than the violence inflicted upon her. She loved dancing, colour and joy. She dreamed of one day standing on a stage in a long red dress, dancing, speaking into a microphone and telling the story of her life. She wanted to be seen and loved as she was.

Her death comes at a time of immense suffering in Iran. Amid executions, repression, conflict, poverty and the killing of protesters and civilians, the violence experienced by LGBT+ people can easily disappear from public view. It must not.

For LGBT+ people in Iran, violence does not come only through direct state repression. The Islamic Republic’s criminalisation and stigmatisation of sexual and gender diversity, together with its systematic promotion of discriminatory gender norms and anti-LGBT+ narratives, creates an environment in which abuse within families, schools and communities can flourish with little accountability.

Liana resisted that environment. She resisted the gender norms imposed on her, the demand for silence around violence and sexual abuse, and a culture in which notions of family “honour” can be placed above the dignity, safety and life of a child.

6Rang calls for an independent investigation into the cause and circumstances of Liana’s death and for accountability for anyone found responsible. We also call on the media, human rights organisations and civil society to respect Liana’s gender identity in reporting on her death. Erasing a trans person’s identity after death is itself a continuation of the denial they experienced in life.

At a moment when Iran is confronting multiple and overlapping crises, LGBT+ lives must not become invisible. Every life deserves to be seen, every allegation of serious abuse deserves scrutiny, and every suspicious death deserves truth and accountability.

6Rang calls on journalists, human rights defenders, international organisations and all those who value human life to amplify the voices of Iran’s LGBT+ community, particularly trans people, and to refuse silence in the face of violence.

6Rang (Iranian LGBT+ Network)
27 August 2026