Birthday of the 'Four Eternal Heroes'; Users: We Will Continue Until the 'Corrupt Child-Killing Regime' is Overthrown

The birthday of Sarina Ismailzadeh, a teenager killed during protests, sparked widespread reactions on social media on Sunday, July 2. The birth anniversaries of those killed in the suppression of peaceful protests in Iran have become occasions to commemorate their memories and initiate new protests. On Friday, July 1, the birthday of Mahdis Hosseini, another teenage protester who lost her life, was also honored, along with the birthdays of Payman Manbari, a victim of the nationwide protests, and Saeed Yaqoubi, an executed protester, on Saturday. Prince Reza Pahlavi referred to Mahdis Hosseini, Payman Manbari, Saeed Yaqoubi, and Sarina Ismailzadeh as 'four eternal heroes of the homeland,' stating that if the 'Khamenei regime, which kills the young and children, had not taken their lives, they would have been 17, 26, 38, and 17 years old, respectively.' In his tweet, he emphasized that 'the memory of these brave children of Iran is cherished and everlasting,' reiterating the slogans 'Women, Life, Freedom' and 'Men, Homeland, Prosperity' that have been chanted during nationwide protests. Siamak Azimi, the brother of the deceased protester Sepehr Azimi, shared a photo of himself at Sarina Ismailzadeh's grave with her 17th birthday cake, also mentioning Payman Manbari and commemorating their 'heavenly birthday.' Mr. Azimi stated that he could not visit Sarina's grave on Sunday for 'reasons' but went the day before, writing, 'But this is no reason for our absence beside you. We are in mourning. Celebration has no meaning.' He emphasized that he visited Sarina's grave to say, 'We will not forget our heroes. Your path continues. Know that victory is ours.' Alireza Akhundi, an Iranian-Swedish parliament member, also sent a video message to Sarina Ismailzadeh, stressing that her memory will never be forgotten, saying, 'I am here with a broken heart remembering you. Know that the sacrifice you made for the path of freedom is very valuable to me personally.' He added, 'Know that you, Nika, Mohsen, Kian, are the reasons we, thousands of kilometers away from Iran, strive for the youth of Iran, for the people of Iran to achieve the dreams you held in your heart.' Mr. Akhundi told Sarina, 'I hope you know that despite the many problems we have had and will have, we will never withdraw and will continue for your dreams until this corrupt child-killing regime is overthrown and we build a beautiful Iran together.' Nazila Maroufian, a journalist who was arrested after interviewing Mahsa Amini's father and later released, referred to Sarina as 'our hope' in a tweet, stating that 'we no longer want just welfare,' emphasizing, 'What could be better than being free and liberated?!' Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist in Iran, reflected part of Sarina Ismailzadeh's words, writing, 'What can the people of a country expect? Welfare, welfare, welfare.' He congratulated the birthday of this teenage protester, recalling her birth date on July 2, 1385 (July 23, 2006) and her 'murder' on March 21, 1401 (April 10, 2022). Moloud Hajizadeh, a journalist, noted, 'Without exaggeration, the videos left by Sarina can be considered the manifesto of her generation. A manifesto of a generation that wants freedom, welfare, individuality, and in a word, life.' According to Ms. Hajizadeh, 'This generation has deeply understood the true meaning of freedom and knows its value' and 'understands well that it is under the shadow of welfare that their lives are elevated, not anti-bourgeois idealistic slogans and opposition to welfare.' Arsham Rezaei, a civil activist in Iran, also reflected part of Sarina Ismailzadeh's handwritten notes, which stated, 'Everywhere is crowded, all the city lights are on, but why is no one's heart light on?' Shabnam Eskandari, the sister of the deceased protester Mohammad Reza Eskandari, also wrote, 'Happy birthday to the eternal ones Payman Manbari and Sarina Ismailzadeh.' In a tweet addressed to these two deceased protesters, she emphasized, 'Hug Mohammad Reza tightly for me.' Several social media users also referred to Sarina Ismailzadeh as 'the daughter of Iran,' a phrase previously used for other deceased protesters such as Neda Agha-Soltan, Mahsa Amini, Nika Shakeri, and Hadis Najafi. Among them, Kamelia Sajadian, the mother of the deceased protester Mohammad Hassan Torkman, also referred to Sarina Ismailzadeh as 'the brave and beautiful daughter of Iran' and congratulated her birthday. Efforts to hold birthday celebrations for some of the deceased protesters have previously faced pressure from the security officials of the Islamic Republic. For instance, they confiscated birthday memorabilia prepared for Kian, a 9-year-old child who was killed in Iran, during a raid on the home of a family friend of Pirfalak, and government forces killed his mother's cousin Pouya Molaei-Rad on his birthday, subsequently arresting his uncle Sajjad Pirfalak. Additionally, security and judicial officials arrested several family members of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh ahead of his birthday, accusing the father and sister of this deceased teenager in the protest suppression of 'propaganda against the regime.' Khosrow Ali-Kordi, the lawyer for the Adinehzadeh family, who had recently described the status of his clients in an interview with VOA, was also accused of 'propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic in favor of opposing groups.'