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.
Among his friends and relatives, Abolfazl Najafi was widely known as “Kind-hearted Aron.” A 26-year-old resident of Tehranpars, he took to the streets on the evening of January 8, following a public call to protest, and was killed after being shot three times with live ammunition in the abdomen and leg.
The Evening of January 8, Tirandaz Intersection
On the evening of January 8, like many Iranians, Aron Najafi went out to participate in the street protests. Around 7:00 PM, the street was so densely packed with crowds that there was barely room to stand. People chanted slogans and marched forward, with the majority of the crowd dressed in black clothing.
Aron was in the heart of the crowd alongside his friend. From afar, the sounds of heavy gunfire and shooting could be heard. As internet and phone connections went down, electricity was also cut in several areas, and security forces began firing at the crowd.
According to an informed source, it was during these hours that Aron Najafi was hit: “His friend rushed him to Al-Ghadir Hospital. By the time his family was notified and managed to arrive, Aron had already been taken to the operating room. When he came out of surgery, he was conscious. He spoke with his family and told them, ‘I’m in pain, but I’ll get better.’”
Relieved that Aron was alive, his family left to gather the items the hospital had requested for his care. However, when they returned, they were told that Aron had fallen into a coma: “They said he had been transferred from the general ward to the intensive care unit (ICU) and that his consciousness level was at 4. Later, they told us that due to the extreme severity of his injuries, he had passed away.”
Kahrizak; Two Days Later
Aron Najafi’s family was told to visit the Kahrizak morgue to reclaim his body. Images of Kahrizak and the sheer volume of deceased individuals wrapped in black body bags remain permanently etched in the collective memory of Iranians. Like many other grieving families, Aron’s family searched for his body for two days. When they finally located him, the institutional harassment had only just begun.
According to an informed source who spoke with IranWire, security officials strictly barred them from burying him in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery: “They told us we had to pay 200 million tomans for every bullet fired. They insisted that the burial location had to be in Robat Karim. They also demanded one billion tomans for the burial permit, repeating that he could not be buried in Behesht-e Zahra.”
Ultimately, under immense pressure from state security agencies, Aron’s family was forced to register him officially as a “martyr” just to be allowed to lay him to rest.
Aron Was Loved by His Neighborhood and Family
Aron (Abolfazl Najafi) had been independent since childhood. Those close to him describe him as extremely kind and charitable, always looking out for others: “Even if he was in need himself, he would give it away, saying, ‘If others are doing well, then I am doing well too.’ He deeply desired to become an official coach for the Bodybuilding Federation and was very close to achieving it, but they killed him.”
According to the informed source who spoke with IranWire, Aron’s family lived in Robat Karim. He was the third child of the family, with one sister and one brother. He lived alone in Tehranpars, and his sole hope was to build a life filled with joy and peace for himself and his family: “He was full of zest for life. He would wake up at 6:00 AM to go to work and work two shifts. He slept little and ate little, but he spent generously on his sister, brother, and parents. On every occasion, he would visit them with his hands full of gifts. He studied, worked, and went to the gym all at the same time.”
Abolfazl Najafi, or “Kind-hearted Aron,” now rests in a corner of the Robat Karim cemetery under a black tombstone engraved with his photograph, sporting the same familiar, kind smile that his family and friends fondly remember.
