Mohammad Jafarpour

Mohammad Jafarpour (also spelled Jafarpoor) was a 25-year-old from Khomeini Shahr (Sedeh), near Isfahan. Born in 1379 (2000), he earned his bachelor's degree in software engineering at the University of Isfahan and was in the final term of a master's degree in computer engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran. Friends described him as a gifted young specialist in artificial intelligence and data science.

He spoke English, German and Chinese, played the santur at a professional level, and was a skilled swimmer. He had received an invitation from Germany, but his attachment to his family and his love for Iran left him unsure whether to leave. He was the only son and youngest child of his family, with two older sisters; his father was an English teacher.

On the night of Friday, 9 January 2026 (19 Dey 1404), he went out to the protests in Khomeini Shahr and was hit by two bullets fired by government forces. His family searched the streets until four in the morning, believing he had been arrested, but his name was on no list. On Sunday afternoon they received a call offering condolences. According to forensic records, he died in hospital on 10 January (20 Dey). His body was returned and he was buried in Khomeini Shahr on Thursday, 15 January (25 Dey), where mourners wore white scarves as a sign of freedom. The family refused a request to have him declared a Basij member.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights also verified his killing, listing him as 23 and from Shahin Shahr with a date of 11 January 2026.