Iranian Activist Dies After Burning Image of Supreme Leader, Sparking Outrage
An Iranian activist has died following his arrest after publicly burning a photograph of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, triggering a wave of condemnation and expressions of defiance within the contry.Omid Sarlak‘s death,reported this week,comes amid ongoing repression of dissent in Iran and escalating tensions between the population and the ruling clerical establishment.
Sarlak’s act of protest,and subsequent death,resonates deeply with the widespread discontent that erupted after the death of Mahsa Jina Amini,a Kurdish woman who died in custody in 2022 after being arrested by the morality police. Amini’s death ignited countrywide protests, and Sarlak’s case underscores the continued risks faced by those challenging the authority of the Islamic Republic. The burning of Khamenei’s image is considered a serious offense in Iran, carrying the risk of arrest, imprisonment, harsh sentences, torture, and even death.
Bahar Ghandehari, director of advocacy at the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, noted the significance of the public burning of the supreme leader’s photo, stating, “despite the fact that insulting or burning the supreme leader’s photo is considered a serious offence, carrying grave risks of arrest, imprisonment, harsh sentences, torture and even death.”
A video shared anonymously with the Guardian shows two men burning images of Khamenei, declaring, “We burn this photo for justice, for freedom, for hope. I am Omid Sarlak. Death to Khamenei and long live the shah.”
The editor of the Amirkabir Newsletter, an Iranian student movement website operating inside Iran, reported that students have not yet held protests on university campuses due to a heavily securitized atmosphere. Though,they anticipate “serious protests” later this year or early next year,citing growing public anger over the deaths of “thousands of innocent people.”
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled oldest son of the former shah, hailed Sarlak as a “hero” and a “brave soul” who sacrificed his life for Iran’s freedom.
