Family of 17-year-old Saida Maleki still searching for her weeks after she was shot and taken away in Iran

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• Saida Maleki, 17, missing since Jan 8 after protests in Iran
• Family has no info on her condition or whereabouts despite searching hospitals
• Calls grow online for authorities to confirm her status and allow family access

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For nearly a month now, Saida Maleki’s family has been living with a question no parent should ever have to ask: where is she?

Saida, 17, has been missing since January 8. According to accounts shared by journalists and activists tracking the protests in Iran, she was shot twice during demonstrations and then taken away by security forces. Since that day, her family says they have heard nothing official about her condition or where she might be.

Relatives have reportedly checked hospitals and detention centres, hoping to find her name on a list or get a clue about what happened. So far, they say, there have been no hospital records, no confirmation of an arrest, no formal charges, and no contact. It is as if she vanished.

Her disappearance comes amid renewed protests and a tighter security response in parts of Iran. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously documented cases in which protesters, including teenagers, were detained during unrest. Families in similar situations have often struggled to get clear information from authorities about their loved ones.

In Saida’s case, photos of her have been shared widely online. People who did not know her personally are now reposting her picture and calling for transparency. The calls are simple: confirm whether she is in custody, disclose her condition, and allow her family access to her.

Iranian officials have not publicly commented on her specific case. In the past, authorities have defended security operations as necessary to maintain order during protests. But for families like Saida’s, the larger political arguments feel distant and abstract. What matters to them is whether their daughter is safe.

Each passing day adds to the uncertainty. Without confirmation, rumours fill the silence. For her parents and relatives, that silence is the hardest part.

Right now, there are more questions than answers. Until there is official word, Saida Maleki’s story remains unfinished, and her family continues to wait.