By Aida Ghajar

IranWire

Security forces buried the body of Reza Moradi-Abdalvand, a 17-year-old protester from Azna in Lorestan Province, under heavy security early on the morning of January 5, the tenth day of nationwide protests in Iran.

Authorities allowed only two family members to attend the burial in the village of Dolatabad and barred Reza’s mother from being present.

Reza was killed on December 31, 2025, when security forces opened fire on protesters near a police station in Azna, according to eyewitnesses and local reports.

He was hit by birdshot fired from a weapon locally known as a char-pareh, a shotgun that disperses small pellets. Reza sustained injuries to his head, back, and side. After several days in intensive care, he died from his wounds.

The burial took place at around 4 a.m. on January 5. Intelligence agents and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were present during the ceremony.

Reza’s family had sought permission to bury him in their home village. Authorities agreed on the condition that the burial be held quietly and with minimal attendance. His mother was not permitted to attend.

Later that day, Reza’s siblings, mother, and other relatives were allowed to visit his grave.

Reza was born on February 11 in the years following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. He studied auto body repair and came from a working-class family. His mother is a homemaker, and his father works as a welder.

He was the eldest of four brothers. Reza left school after completing eighth or ninth grade to help support his family financially.

He is survived by his parents and three younger brothers, all under the age of 18.

Posters bearing Reza’s image have appeared in Dolatabad. One poster reads:

“In the name of the God of the Lur people, Reza was brave and heroic — like armor worn over bull flesh.”

Videos shared on social media show protests in Azna escalating after security forces fired on demonstrators. Witnesses say Reza had joined the protest peacefully before the shooting began.

A resident said Reza took part because of economic hardship and social inequality.

“Like many young people, he protested because of poverty and injustice - for himself, his family, and for freedom,” the resident said.

On January 6, residents of Dolatabad planned a memorial ceremony at Reza’s gravesite. Community members said security authorities had urged them to keep the gathering quiet and limited.

One resident said, “These days, people across Lorestan are angry.”