Alireza Safdel
Alireza Sahebdel

Alireza Safdel, a former wrestler and the only son of his family, was a worker at the Sefidrud Industrial Town in Rasht. He lost his life during the protests in 2026. He held a diploma in computer studies and had achieved second place in the Greco-Roman wrestling competition of Gilan Province during his youth. In 2023, he married and at the time of his death, he was the father of a five-month-old daughter named Ayra.

On 8 January, he left his home intending to join the protests in Rasht, motivated by the desire to build a better future for his daughter and the belief that one should not remain silent in the face of injustice. After leaving home, mobile phone signals were cut off, and he did not return. His family, suspecting he had been detained, searched hospitals and detention centres for five days. Eventually, they found his body in the "Bagh Rezvan" cemetery in Rasht, where it had been registered as unidentified and was buried under a pile of other corpses. Authorities did not return his belongings, including his phone, wedding ring, and cash, to the family.

Alireza's body showed signs of a gunshot wound to the temple and a deep stitched wound on the thigh. Officials claimed the thigh injury was for DNA testing and identification purposes. Security agencies required the family to commit to burying him quietly at night, away from his place of residence.