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Iranian amateur boxer Sepehr Ebrahimi, 19, was shot and killed by security forces during anti-regime protests near Tehran, according to Iranian opposition sources. The tragic incident has drawn international attention as footage circulated online showing his distraught father searching through piles of black body bags in a warehouse, desperately calling out for his son.
“Sepehr was shot and killed in Tehran,” confirmed Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). According to Safavi, Ebrahimi was killed with live ammunition by Iranian security forces on January 11 in the Andisheh area, approximately 19 miles west of Tehran’s city center.
The harrowing video shows Ebrahimi’s father moving between rows of unidentified bodies following the violent crackdown on demonstrators. At one point, overcome with grief, he shouts, “Damn Khamenei. They have killed the children of so many people. You killed so many young people!”
His family endured an agonizing week searching through morgues, hospitals, and detention facilities before finally identifying his body among the countless victims of the regime’s brutal response to the protests.
Ebrahimi’s death occurs against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Iran, where demonstrations continue over political repression, economic hardship, and human rights abuses. The clerical regime has responded with increasingly harsh measures to quell dissent, leading to thousands of casualties.
The killing has also renewed international concern about the case of another Iranian boxer, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani. The 30-year-old champion boxer has spent five years in prison after being arrested in 2020 for participating in nationwide pro-democracy protests. Currently on death row, Vafaei Sani has reportedly endured torture and prolonged solitary confinement, according to human rights organizations.
Iranian authorities accused Vafaei Sani of supporting the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), a charge often leveled against political dissidents. His situation bears striking similarities to that of Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari, who was executed in September 2020 despite international outcry.
In 2023, more than 100 human rights experts and international organizations appealed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, urging immediate intervention to prevent Vafaei Sani’s execution. Despite these efforts, his life remains in danger as Iran continues its pattern of silencing opposition through capital punishment.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented the staggering human cost of Iran’s crackdown, reporting that at least 6,126 people have been killed since the beginning of the latest wave of protests. The agency also noted that 214 government-affiliated forces and 49 civilians have been killed, with more than 17,000 deaths still under investigation.
These deaths represent a troubling escalation in Iran’s approach to handling civil unrest. The regime has implemented increasingly severe methods to control dissent, including digital blackouts to prevent information from reaching international audiences and deploying heavily armed security forces against largely unarmed protesters.
Iran’s government views organized opposition as an existential threat and has shown little hesitation in using lethal force to maintain control. The targeting of young athletes like Ebrahimi is particularly notable, as these figures often serve as symbols of national pride and potential rallying points for opposition movements.
As demonstrations continue throughout the country, the international community faces mounting pressure to respond more forcefully to human rights abuses in Iran. Meanwhile, families like Ebrahimi’s are left to navigate their grief amid a system designed to obscure accountability for state violence.
The footage of Ebrahimi’s father searching for his son serves as a powerful reminder of the personal tragedies behind the statistics, highlighting the human cost of political repression in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
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9 Comments
This is a tragic and heartbreaking story. My heart goes out to Sepehr Ebrahimi’s family as they grieve his senseless death at the hands of Iranian security forces. No family should have to endure such anguish.
The crackdown on protesters in Iran is deeply concerning. Shooting and killing young people like Sepehr, an amateur boxer, is an unacceptable abuse of power. I hope the international community continues to condemn these human rights violations.
I agree. The world must hold the Iranian regime accountable for these atrocities and demand an end to the violence against peaceful protesters.
This is a tragic loss of life. Sepehr was just a young man pursuing his passion for boxing, and he was cut down in the prime of his life. The Iranian government must be held responsible for these egregious human rights abuses.
Agreed. The world cannot stand idly by while the Iranian regime continues to violently suppress its own people. Justice must be served for Sepehr and all the victims of this crackdown.
This story is a sobering reminder of the high price the Iranian people are paying for standing up for their rights. Sepehr’s death is a tragic example of the regime’s disregard for human life. The international community must take strong action to hold the Iranian government accountable.
The death of Sepehr Ebrahimi is a tragic loss, and my condolences go out to his family and loved ones. This incident highlights the urgent need for the international community to step up pressure on the Iranian regime to end its violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.
Watching the father’s desperate search for his son’s body is heartbreaking. No parent should have to go through that kind of trauma. My condolences to Sepehr’s family and all the families impacted by the regime’s brutal response to the protests.
The footage of the father searching for his son’s body is absolutely gut-wrenching. My heart breaks for him and all the families torn apart by the Iranian regime’s ruthless actions. This is a devastating loss of life that cannot be ignored.