Since the beginning of the popular protests in January, the Islamic Republic has consistently attributed these demonstrations to “foreign espionage and security services.” In the regime’s propaganda, protesting citizens have routinely been labeled as “deluded” or “foreign agents.” However, investigations by IranWire and various human rights organizations reveal that the vast majority of those killed were ordinary citizens who took to the streets simply to protest existing conditions. In many instances, the victims were children, individuals residing near the protest sites, or bystanders who had merely gone to watch the gatherings. This report recounts the tragic death of Abolfazl (Aron) Najafi.
January 8 stands as one of the bloodiest days in contemporary Iranian history. On that day, the Tehranpars neighborhood in eastern Tehran witnessed a massive sea of citizens who took to the streets with hopes of victory and an end to 47 years of suffering, only to be brutally suppressed with the full arsenal of the regime’s warfare. This crackdown ranged from live ammunition fired at close range into the heads and faces of protesters to snipers stationed on the roofs of high-rise buildings, who first marked their targets with green laser lights before opening fire. Abolfazl (Aron) Najafi was among those severely wounded when he was shot three times with live ammunition. Those close to him rushed him to Al-Ghadir Hospital, where he underwent surgery and initially regained consciousness. However, hours later, when his family briefly left to retrieve his necessary belongings, they returned to be told that his consciousness level had dropped sharply. Shortly thereafter, they were informed that he had passed away.
