In the wake of protests in Iran earlier this year, families of those killed continue to grapple with profound grief compounded by ongoing state pressure, with a recent surge in suicides among bereaved relatives highlighting the lasting trauma. Since the protests began in January, numerous family members of deceased activists have taken their own lives, underscoring the deep emotional toll in the months following the violence.
On September 6, Danial Karimi, father of 19-year-old athlete Amir Mohammad Karimi, died by suicide. Amir was shot during protests in Marvdasht on January 9. Three days prior, 25-year-old Aida Heydari, the fiancée of Abolfazl Soleimani Al-Mouti, who was killed during demonstrations in Qazvin province on the same day, also ended her life. Their deaths reflect a widening pattern of despair among those left behind.
Amir Mohammad was a national junior taekwondo team member, while Abolfazl Soleimani Al-Mouti, 27, was among the several protesters killed by security forces. Families recall that Aida and her fiancé had planned to marry in September, making her death especially poignant as it marked the time they were to begin their life together.
Similar tragedies have been reported across Iran. Farahnaz Rouz-farah, mother of Saman Ebrahimpour who was shot in Rasht in January, died by suicide in July after six months of suffering. In Kermanshah, Mehdi Kakaei took his life following the death of his wife, Shahla Kakaei, who was shot outside their home in January. After being wounded in the same attack, Mehdi’s suicide occurred after he was discharged from hospital. The Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights documented these developments.
Another case involves Ahmad Khodaei, husband of Saleheh Akbari, who survived two suicide attempts. Saleheh and Ahmad, both rescue workers in Ardabil, had converted part of their home into an informal treatment center for injured protesters. Security forces raided their home on January 12, killed Saleheh, and took her body. Ahmad later disclosed that an officer had filmed himself abusing her corpse and sent the video to him, deepening his trauma.
These tragedies have galvanized some families into creating a campaign encouraging survivors to persevere and remember the victims as an act of resistance. Arash Salami, whose brother Mohammad-amin died during protests in Kermanshah, implored families to keep alive the memory of their loved ones. “Let us shout the names of our loved ones and write them down so they remain in people’s memories and in history,” he said. His gesture of lighting candles has inspired a broader social media movement.
The families face not only grief but also repression from Iranian authorities. Relatives from various cities, including Tehran, Lahijan, Mashhad, and Isfahan, report being summoned or threatened by intelligence agents to cease sharing images or testimonies about the deceased. Attempts have been made to exhume bodies, destroy headstones, and intimidate mourners to prevent public expressions of grief that could fuel further dissent.
Despite these pressures, families like that of Behboud Hassanzadeh, a 36-year-old law graduate killed during protests, continue to speak out. In a video shared on September 12, Behboud’s mother, battling her own health crisis, lit candles in his memory, vowing neither to forgive nor forget.
The ongoing hardship emphasizes the broader human cost of the protests and the persistent impact of state repression on Iranian society. Mental health experts and opposition figures have called for increased psychological support to help families endure these challenges. The situation remains a stark reminder of the enduring consequences of the events of January for Iran’s citizens and their loved ones.