The eyes of a revolution and the stories behind them
Our Stories
We have asked for people to share with us their stories, the way that they would like for them to be told.
Iman Shahi
Iman Shahi
Iman was a 34-year-old father from Lorestan when he was shot. He was working self-employed at the time.
Iman had been attending the 40th-day memorial ceremony for Nika Shakarami, a 16-year-old young woman who had been brutally murdered by the police on September 20, 2022. Nika was from the same small town as Iman, and he continues to keep in touch with her family two years on.
The ceremony was held between 2:00 and 4:00 PM on October 27, 2022. The large crowd that had gathered in support of Nika’s family was starting to leave when the crackdown began. Police surrounded the crowd, and violence ensued.
“They blocked the road and started to attack the people.”
About 20 minutes into the confrontation, Iman was hit by multiple pellets, suffering injuries to his eye and neck. Those around him were able to assist and helped him get into a car to seek medical aid.
“We already knew from previous cases what happens when someone gets hit in the eye with pellets.”
By that time, the wave of protests had been ongoing for over a month, and many had suffered similar injuries. Iman was aware that the only hospital where he would receive proper care was in Tehran. Within four or five hours, they had arrived in Tehran to seek treatment.
“We were focused on getting out quickly so that we wouldn’t get captured.”
For many of those injured, it was as if they had been tagged by police—if they were seen in public or seeking medical attention, authorities would be alerted, and the injured person would be taken into detention.
For Iman, it was crucial to receive medical care while avoiding detention. After all, he had committed no crime other than mourning the loss of a relative.
Initially, Iman was taken to Noor Hospital, where he was denied entry. From there, they went to Farabi Hospital, where he was admitted, and an operation was performed on his cornea and retina. Iman says that on the day he was there, about 60 or 70 patients from Kurdistan were also receiving treatment, along with multiple others from his province, Lorestan. Iman remains in touch with many of the people he met that day. They share a unique pain.
Iman has undergone multiple surgeries to maintain his eye in the best possible condition, but his treatment continues as the pressure in his eye keeps rising and he will never be able to see from his left eye again. Every time he needs medical care, he still has to travel all the way to Tehran. He has not been able to return to work, adding to the pressures he faces.
Iman’s family has been supportive where they can. His sister, who works in Tehran, does her best to help. Iman’s young children, particularly his son, struggled to come to terms with what had happened to their father.
“My son, he’s about 10 years old. At first, he was scared to come near me. He thought that they had removed my eye.”
Eventually, Iman was able to show his son that he was alright—that his eye was still there.
“It’s been a hard time. It’s been hard on the family.”
Iman hasn’t been able to file any complaints about what happened to him. Moreover, he has to be cautious to avoid facing repercussions.
Justice seems out of reach.
“But all things considered, my path is good. I don’t regret the path that I am on. It’s difficult to come to terms with this kind of thing, but you have to.”
When we asked Iman what he had expected when he attended the memorial that day, he told us:
“We expected to mourn the loss of our little girl. We didn’t expect that we would be violently attacked.”
Iman’s life has changed significantly as a result of his injury, and there is little hope for justice under the current government in Iran.
Now, Iman is focused on continuing to fight for his rights in whatever way possible.
“Our only concern, our only goal, is this: Our own people—no one is coming to help us. We must help ourselves. We must remove the oppressors. That is the only goal.”
Iman emphasizes the importance of staying focused on the main goal and not allowing distractions to deter them from the path. He understands that there will likely be more sacrifices along the way, but for him, the most important thing is that people stand together and fight for a common cause.
“I just hope that they are removed, and we can finally achieve our rights. Only we, the people, can make this happen. Only we can get them to leave.”
– Iman Shahi
*Iman’s name has been changed for his and his family’s safety.
Eyes for Freedom | Cheshm Baraye Azadi | چشم برای آزادی 