Mohammad Khajavi

Mohammad Khajavi (February 1, 1985 – October 22, 2022)

Mohammad Khajavi was born on February 1, 1985 in the village of Pirgoli, near Fereydunshahr in Isfahan Province, into a large Bakhtiari Lur family. His father worked in farming and livestock raising and later moved the family to Yazdanshahr near Najafabad so his children could have better educational opportunities. From a young age, Mohammad was hardworking and independent. He loved technical work and cars, and while still a teenager he began working to help support his family and continue his education. Later, he entered the car trading business and built his life through years of effort.
In 2006, he married and became the father of two children, Ehsan and Aysan. According to relatives and friends, his family was the center of his life. He deeply loved his children and constantly dreamed about building a safer, happier, and more comfortable future for them.
Friends described Mohammad as kind, generous, and deeply peace-loving. One of them recalled that he often said: “Resentment and hatred only bring darkness. We are human beings and should live beside one another with kindness, helping each other, because life is too short to waste on conflict and hostility.”
Mohammad loved Iran passionately — its people, its ethnic and cultural diversity, its mountains, forests, seas, and landscapes. At the same time, he was deeply troubled by what he saw as corruption, injustice, poverty, repression, and inequality in the country. According to people close to him, he had participated in public protests for years and believed that the people of Iran deserved freedom, dignity, and equality.
When the nationwide uprising of 2022 began after the killing of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, Mohammad joined the protests like many others across Iran. He reportedly told his friends: “Whether I survive this path or not, I am happy because my goal is not only for myself and my family. We are standing for a free Iran. If we are gone, you must continue. A free and dignified life is the right of every Iranian.”
On the night of October 22 and the early hours of October 23, 2022, during protests in the Modarres district of Dezful, Mohammad Khajavi was in the streets together with his teenage son, Ehsan. According to published accounts, government security forces opened fire on protesters with shotguns. Ehsan, who was only 15 years old, was struck by multiple pellets and severely wounded.
Reports say Mohammad, who was riding a motorcycle, tried to take his injured son away from the scene and bring him home or to safety. But security forces allegedly rammed their motorcycle with a vehicle and fired again from close range. According to relatives, Mohammad threw himself over his son in an attempt to protect him from further harm. He suffered severe injuries to his chest, abdomen, and body and died from those wounds.
Ehsan Khajavi was also critically injured and later died in hospital from the severity of his wounds. Father and son were both killed during the protests in Dezful — a tragedy that drew widespread attention and sorrow among many Iranians.
Mohammad Khajavi was later buried amid deep grief from family, friends, and members of the community. Memorial ceremonies for him were later held in Yazdanshahr, where loved ones remembered him as a caring father, a freedom-seeking man, and someone who believed dignity and liberty belonged to all people in Iran.
For those who knew him, Mohammad was more than a protester. He was a father with dreams for his children, a man who believed in peace and humanity, and someone who lost his life during the turbulent events of 2022 while standing for the ideals he believed in.