Mehdi Tavakkoli
26 July 2026 Killed by state forces outside protests
Life
- He was a Kurdish photographer and cultural and artistic activist, director of the Kurdistan Photographers' House and founder of the "Chav" art house
Persian original
عکاس و فعال فرهنگی و هنری کرد، مدیر خانه عکاسان کردستان و موسس خانه هنری «چاو» بود
- Kurdish photographer and cultural and artistic activist, director of the Kurdistan Photographers' House and founder of the "Chav" art house
Persian original
عکاس و فعال فرهنگی و هنری کرد، مدیر خانه عکاسان کردستان و مؤسس خانه هنری «چاو»
- director of the Kurdistan Photographers’ House (Khaneh-ye Akasan-e Kurdistan)
Persian original
director of the Kurdistan Photographers’ House (Khaneh-ye Akasan-e Kurdistan)
- They visited relatives of Mehdi Tavakkoli, his sister Somayyeh and their mother Maryam Aslani
Persian original
با بستگان مهدی توکلی، خواهرش سمیه و مادرشان مریم اصلانی دیدار کردند
- Together with his sister Somayyeh Tavakkoli and their mother Maryam Aslani
Persian original
به همراه خواهرش سمیه توکلی و مادرشان مریم اصلانی
- He had previously been arrested and convicted because of his activities
Persian original
پیش‌تر به دلیل فعالیت‌های خود بازداشت و محکوم شده بود
- Former political prisoner
Persian original
زندانی سیاسی پیشین
- In past years he had a record of arrest and judicial conviction because of his activities
Persian original
در سال‌های گذشته به دلیل فعالیت‌های خود سابقه بازداشت و محکومیت قضایی داشت
- a well-known Kurdish photographer
Persian original
a well-known Kurdish photographer
Family and bonds
- Family Maryam Aslani مریم اصلانی
با بستگان مهدی توکلی، خواهرش سمیه و مادرشان مریم اصلانی دیدار کردند
- Family Somayyeh Tavakkoli سمیه توکلی
به همراه خواهرش سمیه توکلی و مادرشان مریم اصلانی
How they died
- On the evening of 4 Mordad, forces of the Ministry of Intelligence sprayed the car carrying this family with bullets on the Baneh–Marivan road, and all three [lost their lives] on the spot
Persian original
نیروهای وزارت اطلاعات شامگاه چهارم مرداد خودروی حامل این خانواده را در جاده بانه–مریوان به رگبار بستند و هر سه درجا [جان باختند]
- Mehdi Tavakkoli, three bullets
Persian original
مهدی توکلی سه گلوله
- While travelling in a Samand car on the Baneh–Marivan road, they were hit by direct shooting by forces of the Ministry of Intelligence and lost their lives on the spot
Persian original
هنگام تردد با یک دستگاه خودروی سمند در جاده بانه–مریوان هدف تیراندازی مستقیم نیروهای وزارت اطلاعات قرار گرفتند و درجا جان باختند
- On the evening of 4 Mordad, forces of the Ministry of Intelligence sprayed the car carrying this family with bullets on the Baneh–Marivan road, and all three lost their lives on the spot.
Persian original
نیروهای وزارت اطلاعات شامگاه چهارم مرداد خودروی حامل این خانواده را در جاده بانه–مریوان به رگبار بستند و هر سه درجا جان باختند.
After their death
- The bodies of these three were examined secretly at the hospital, without registration of identity or opening of a file, and no one was allowed to approach them
Persian original
پیکرهای این سه نفر در بیمارستان، بدون ثبت هویت و تشکیل پرونده، مخفیانه بررسی شدند و اجازه نزدیک شدن کسی به آن‌ها داده نشد
- The security bodies have put their family under pressure to refrain from publicising [the incident] and have asked them to declare the cause of death of these three as an "accident"
Persian original
نهادهای امنیتی خانواده آنان را برای خودداری از اطلاع‌رسانی تحت فشار گذاشته و از آنان خواسته‌اند علت مرگ این سه نفر را «تصادف» اعلام کنند
- The bodies of the three killed members of the Tavakkoli family were buried on 5 Mordad in a securitised atmosphere at the Behesht-e Mohammadi cemetery in Sanandaj.
Persian original
پیکر سه عضو کشته‌شده خانواده توکلی پنجم مرداد در فضایی امنیتی در آرامستان بهشت محمدی سنندج به خاک سپرده شد.
- It presented those killed as members of PJAK
Persian original
کشته‌شدگان را اعضای پژاک معرفی کرد
- They have made the handover of their bodies conditional on refraining from publicising this incident
Persian original
تحویل پیکرهای آنان را به خودداری از اطلاع‌رسانی درباره این واقعه مشروط کرده‌اند
- The victims' family have also been put under pressure to declare their cause of death as an "accident"
Persian original
خانواده قربانیان همچنین تحت فشار قرار گرفته‌اند تا علت مرگ آنان را «تصادف» اعلام کنند
- On 5 Mordad, in a heavily securitised atmosphere, they were buried at the "Behesht-e Mohammadi" cemetery of this city
Persian original
پنجم مرداد، در فضایی به‌شدت امنیتی، در آرامستان «بهشت محمدی» این شهر به خاک سپرده شد
- The phrase "martyr of Kurdistan" was written on their temporary gravestones
Persian original
عبارت «شهید کوردستان» بر سنگ‌های موقت مزارشان نوشته شده بود
- Security agencies subsequently summoned the family and said they would release the bodies for burial only if the family refrained from publicising the incident, informed sources said.
Persian original
Security agencies subsequently summoned the family and said they would release the bodies for burial only if the family refrained from publicising the incident, informed sources said.
- The agencies also pressured the family to state that the three had died in a “road accident”.
Persian original
The agencies also pressured the family to state that the three had died in a “road accident”.
- The security bodies have put their family under pressure to refrain from publicising [the incident] and have asked them to declare the cause of death of these three as an "accident".
Persian original
نهادهای امنیتی خانواده آنان را برای خودداری از اطلاع‌رسانی تحت فشار گذاشته و از آنان خواسته‌اند علت مرگ این سه نفر را «تصادف» اعلام کنند.
Sources
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