Khodanur Lojei or Lajai ( fa, خدانور لجهای; October 2, 1995 – October 2, 2022) was an Iranian protester from
Zahedan
Zahedan ( Balochi and fa, , ' ) is a city and capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 587,730.
The city was the site of a deadly crackdown in October 2022, with dozens citizens killed by pro- ...
, who was killed during the
2022 Zahedan massacre, one of the
Mahsa Amini protests
Civil unrest and protests against the government of Iran associated with the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini ( fa, مهسا امینی) began on 16 September 2022 and are ongoing as of December 2022. Amini had been arrested by the Guida ...
. A picture of him with his hands tied to a flagpole with a bottle of water put in front of him (but out of his reach) has become one of the symbols of the ongoing protests Iran.
History
Lojei died on October 2, 2022, from a gunshot in his kidney, during a time of mass protests in Iran.
There is a viral photo released of a man tied to a flagpole, being tortured by the Islamic Republic because the water bottle is out of reach.
The
Islamic Republic News Agency
The Islamic Republic News Agency ( fa, خبرگزاری جمهوری اسلامی, ''Xebergâzari-ye Jimhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye''), or IRNA, is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Founded on 13 November 1934 as Pars News Agency ...
(IRNA) and other Iranian news outlets reported that the man on the pole was Lajahi who was an incarcerated Afghani thief and criminal.
They also claim his real name is Sadegh Kebadani.
Some Iranian news agencies such as
Mashregh News
Mashregh News ( fa, مشرقنیوز, ) is a non-governmental news website in Iran. It has been described as "close to the security and intelligence organizations" but till now there have been no clear documents to prove claims. It is based in T ...
have claimed the image of the man tied to the flag pole is possibly
Baloch singer, Bilal Nasravi.
BBC Persian
BBC Persian ( fa, بیبیسی فارسی) is the Persian language broadcast station and subsidiary of BBC World Service which conveys the latest political, social, economical and sport news relevant to Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and ...
and other news agencies have reported Lojei was a protester that died during the 2022 Zahedan massacre, tied to the pole.
Lojei was Baloch and of the
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
religion, which are two minority groups.
The photo of him tied to the flagpole documented the government injustices, which amplified the public outcry.
As a result he has become a symbol in-part because of ethnic discrimination and class inequality within Iran.
Impact
In November 2022, cities across Iran gathered in protests and in strikes as a response to the 2022 Zahedan massacre and the death of Lojei, whose name was one that was chanted during the Tehran events.
The cities that saw these national protests included Tehran,
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
,
Mahabad
Mahabad ( fa, مهاباد, ku, مەهاباد, translit=Mehabad), also Romanized as Mihābād and Muhābād and formerly known as Savojbolagh, is a city and capital of Mahabad County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its ...
,
Bukan
Bukan ( fa, بوکان, translit=Bukân, ku, بۆکان, translit=Bokan) is the capital of Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. As of 2016, its population was estimated to be near 193,501 people or 56,000 families. The city is situated e ...
,
Saqqez
Saqqez ( ; fa, سقز ; ), also known as Saghez, Saqez, Saqqiz, Saqiz, and Sakīz, is the capital city of Saqqez County in Kurdistan Province, in northwestern Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population was 165,258.
Etymology
The nam ...
,
Baneh
Baneh ( fa, بانه, Bāneh, ku, بانە, translit=Bane) is a city and capital of Baneh County, Kurdistan Province, in Iran's western border. Baneh is bordered by Saqqez to the east, Marivan to the south, Sardasht to the west, and is approxim ...
.
In
Sanandaj, at the
University of Kurdistan a large group of student protesters staged a recreation of Lojei on the pole, before they were attacked by the Islamic Republic troops, using performance as a form of protest and mourning. At the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
(LACMA), mass protesters were led in a performance by Mediseh Bathaie, where they were tied to the lamp posts in
Chris Burden
Christopher Lee Burden (April 11, 1946 – May 10, 2015) was an American artist working in performance, sculpture and installation art. Burden became known in the 1970s for his performance art works, including ''Shoot'' (1971), where he arranged ...
’s art installation ''
Urban Light'' (2008) to honor the 40th day since Lojei's death. It is customary in
Shia Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...
to mark the 40th day of mourning.
In Berlin, protesters dressed in traditional Baloch clothing to honor Lojei's memory during the ongoing solidarity protests. International events happened in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
Amherst, and Los Angeles, where a protester(s) have locked themself to a pole following Lojei's death. Additionally images of Lojei's face have been used on protest posters.
In Chicago, artists created a tribute sculpture for Lojei made from ice displayed at the
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
.
In 2023, Israeli artist
Benzi Brofman created a mural in Nazareth of support for the Iranian protesters, which included illustrations of 15 victims including Khodanur Lojei.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lojei, Khodanur
Protests_in_Iran
Political repression in Iran
History of the Islamic Republic of Iran
September 2022 events in Iran
Women's rights in Iran
People killed in the Mahsa Amini protests
Iranian Sunni Muslims
Iranian Baloch people
Deaths by person in Iran
Police brutality in Iran
Crime in Iran