Ali Jalili

Ali Jalili (August 1, 1975 – October 19, 2022)

Ali Jalili was born on August 1, 1975. He was an engineer, the principal of the state-run “Shahid Baradaran Mozaffar” vocational high school in Tehran’s District 4, a husband, and a father. Colleagues and students described him as a compassionate and responsible educator who cared deeply about his students, especially those from financially struggling families. He was known for supporting students preparing for university entrance exams and maintaining a close and respectful relationship with them.
After the nationwide protests erupted in Iran following the killing of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, schools reopened amid growing unrest. Across the country, many students joined demonstrations alongside university students. According to reports from teachers’ unions, activists, and people close to him, Ali Jalili stood by his students and supported them during that period.
Because of this, he was repeatedly summoned by the Intelligence Ministry and the security office of the Ministry of Education. Reports say security officials pressured him to reveal the names of students involved in protests and to hand over school surveillance footage so protesting students could be identified. Ali Jalili reportedly refused to cooperate and did not provide information about his students.
The repeated interrogations, threats, and psychological pressure continued for weeks. Teachers’ organizations later described what he endured as severe psychological harassment. On October 19, 2022, he was summoned once again by school security authorities. According to accounts published afterward, he returned to school in poor physical condition, suffering from intense coughing and distress. About an hour after arriving home, his condition worsened dramatically, and he died from cardiac arrest.
The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations stated that Ali Jalili’s death occurred after continuous threats, pressure, and intimidation by security and intelligence authorities. His family and colleagues described his death as sudden, suspicious, and directly linked to the intense psychological stress he had been subjected to.
According to reports from relatives, even after his death the family faced heavy pressure from security forces. They were allegedly threatened and restricted from holding a public mourning ceremony. Family members also said that when they called for emergency assistance after his collapse, no ambulance was sent to their home.
Ali Jalili was buried on October 20, 2022, in one of the cemeteries of Babol in Mazandaran Province under a heavy security atmosphere.
His death deeply affected many teachers, students, and labor activists. Among colleagues and former students, he came to be remembered as a principled school principal who refused to betray his students despite mounting pressure from authorities.
On the first anniversary of his death, his daughter wrote:
“For one year now, your kind heart has stopped beating with love, and our eyes have been deprived of your hopeful smile. We still cannot believe your sudden and unclear departure. But your good name and the beautiful memories you left behind continue to comfort us.”
Ali Jalili’s name later appeared among numerous Iranian teachers and educators who, during the 2022 protests, were summoned, arrested, threatened, dismissed, or lost their lives amid the government’s crackdown on dissent and solidarity movements within schools and universities.