Javad Kazemi

Javad Kazemi was a 13‑year‑old child born in 2012 (the Persian year 1391) in Islamshahr, Tehran Province. From the age of ten he worked to help support his family, carrying the heavy burden of bread‑carrying while many of his peers were still attending school. He was essentially a child laborer forced into dangerous work to keep his household afloat. On 19 Dey 2024 (January 9 2026), during the "National Milk and Sun Revolution" protests that took place at the lower Hesarak area of Islamshahr (the Rabat‑Karim to Saqqez road stretch), forces of the Islamic Republic opened fire on Javad. He was first shot in the leg, rendering him immobile, and then two additional rounds were fired into his heart; some accounts state a clean‑shot was delivered to his neck and head to ensure his death. Javad Kazemi died on the spot. His name and memory are cherished by his family and the community, and he has become a symbol of the children who fall victim to the violent suppression of these protests.