Ali Basaki

Ali Basaki (December 19, 1986 – October 15, 2022)

Ali Basaki was born on December 19, 1986 in Shahriar, west of Tehran. He came from a Bakhtiari Lur family with roots in Aligudarz (Basak clan, Meyvand tribe). He lived in Tehran, worked as a self-employed laborer, and had earned a high school diploma. Those who knew him remember him as cheerful, humorous, and deeply passionate about music, especially playing the flute. Like many young Iranians, he carried hopes and dreams for a better future.
According to published reports, in early October 2022, Ali was arrested by Iranian security forces on charges of leading protest activities in the Tehran Bazaar. It is reported that before his arrest, he encouraged people to join demonstrations and strikes. Following his detention, he was transferred to Evin Prison.
On the night of October 15, 2022, a fire and violent unrest broke out inside Evin Prison. According to reports, the protests began in Ward 7 and later spread to other sections of the prison, including the women's ward and Ward 8, which housed political prisoners. Security forces reportedly responded with tear gas and gunfire in an effort to suppress the unrest.
Published accounts state that prisoners lit fires to reduce the effects of tear gas and prevent suffocation. The flames reportedly spread to the prison's sewing workshop. It has also been reported that fires were set in the prison yard to alert the public to the events unfolding inside, prompting groups of people to gather outside the prison that night.
According to these accounts, Ali Basaki was among the prisoners who continued chanting anti-government slogans during the incident. Reports further state that more than 100 prisoners were injured by shotgun pellets and severe beatings, and that at least eight prisoners, including Ali Basaki, lost their lives. Different accounts have been published regarding the exact circumstances of his death, and not all details have been independently verified.
According to reports from his family and other published sources, Ali's body was returned to his relatives after a period of time in exchange for a payment. He was buried quietly in Baghestan, near Shahriar, without public ceremony.
For his family, friends, and many who have followed his story, Ali Basaki remains one of the victims associated with the events at Evin Prison in October 2022. The full circumstances surrounding those events continue to be the subject of differing accounts and ongoing scrutiny.