Khodanur Lojei
خدانور لجه‌ای
Born(1995-10-02)October 2, 1995
Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
DiedOctober 2, 2022(2022-10-02) (aged 27)
Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
NationalityIranian
Other namesKhodanur Lajai
Known forHis death during the 2022 Zahedan massacre

Khodanur Lojei or Lajai (Persian: خدانور لجه‌ای; October 2, 1995 – October 2, 2022) was an Iranian protester from Zahedan, who was killed during the 2022 Zahedan massacre, one of the Mahsa Amini protests.[1][2][3][4] 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.[5][6][7]

History

Lojei died on October 2, 2022, from a gunshot in his kidney, during a time of mass protests in Iran.[8][9] 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 (IRNA) and other Iranian news outlets reported that the man on the pole was Lajahi who was an incarcerated Afghani thief and criminal.[8][10] They also claim his real name is Sadegh Kebadani.[8] Some Iranian news agencies such as Mashregh News have claimed the image of the man tied to the flag pole is possibly Baloch singer, Bilal Nasravi.[10]

BBC Persian and other news agencies have reported Lojei was a protester that died during the 2022 Zahedan massacre, tied to the pole.[6] Lojei was Baloch and of the Sunni religion, which are two minority groups.[11] The photo of him tied to the flagpole documented the government injustices, which amplified the public outcry.[7][8] As a result he has become a symbol in-part because of ethnic discrimination and class inequality within Iran.[11][9]

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.[7] The cities that saw these national protests included Tehran, Tabriz, Mahabad, Bukan, Saqqez, Baneh.[7][12][13]

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.[14] At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), mass protesters were led in a performance by Mediseh Bathaie, where they were tied to the lamp posts in Chris Burden’s art installation Urban Light (2008) to honor the 40th day since Lojei's death.[15][16][17] It is customary in Shia Islam to mark the 40th day of mourning.[18]

In Berlin, protesters dressed in traditional Baloch clothing to honor Lojei's memory during the ongoing solidarity protests.[19] International events happened in Bangalore, Amherst, and Los Angeles, where a protester(s) have locked themself to a pole following Lojei's death.[20][21][22][23] Additionally images of Lojei's face have been used on protest posters.[24]

In Chicago, artists created a tribute sculpture for Lojei made from ice displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago.[25]

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.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Remembering the Victims of #IranProtests2022". iranwire.com. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  2. ↑ "Names and details of more than 182 martyrs of freedom in nationwide protests". Iran HRS. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  3. ↑ Kaf1 (2022-11-08). "Khodanur Lajai, l'histoire d'un "Homo Sacer" baloutche au pays des mollahs sanguinaires". Kurdistan au féminin (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Azar, Masoud (14 November 2022). "ر وایت حکومت از کشته‌ها؛ «رقص مرگ» با گلوله و باتوم" [The government's narrative of the dead; "Dance of death" with bullets and batons]. BBC Persian (in Persian).
  5. ↑ "درباره خدانور لجعی و نحوه کشته شدن او چه می‌دانیم؟". factnameh.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  6. 1 2 "به رغم تهدیدهای بی‌شمار، ورزشکاران همچنان از اعتراض دست نمی‌کشند" [Despite countless threats, athletes still do not stop protesting]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "اعتصاب و تجمع در چهلم قربانیان جمعه خونین زاهدان در نقاط مختلف ایران" [Strike and rally on the 40th anniversary of the victims of Zahedan's Bloody Friday in different parts of Iran]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "اعتراضات در ایران؛ جدیدترین روایت‌های حکومتی از مرگ معترضان – DW – ۱۴۰۱/۸/۱۹". Deutsche Welle (DW) (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  9. 1 2 Ciavardini, Tiziana (2022-11-09). "Il Regime Islamico dell'Iran chiede la morte per 14 mila manifestanti ma oggi il popolo è unito nel ricordo di Khodanour". Articolo21 (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  10. 1 2 "فیلم/ خدانور لجه‌ای که بود؟". مشرق نیوز Mashregh News (in Persian). 2022-11-13. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  11. 1 2 "خدانور لجعی، مبارزی ایستاده در نقطه تقاطع تبعیض و نابرابری طبقاتی". Radio Zamaneh (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  12. ↑ "پرفورمنس اعتراضی دانشجوی دانشگاه هنر تبریز در یادبود خدانور لجعی، از کشته‌شدگان زاهدان" [Protest performance by a student of Tabriz University of Arts in the memorial of Khodanur Lajai, one of the victims of Zahedan]. ایران اینترنشنال (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  13. ↑ "جمعه‌های اعتراض در سیستان‌وبلوچستان؛ مردم زاهدان برای هفتمین هفته پیاپی به خیابان‌ها آمدند" [Protest Fridays in Sistan-Baluchistan; The people of Zahedan came to the streets for the seventh consecutive week]. ایران اینترنشنال Iran International (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  14. ↑ "Iran: Tausende folgen Aufruf zu Streik und weiteren Protesten". ANF News (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  15. ↑ Harris, Gareth (2022-11-14). "Mass protest against Iran's human rights abuses staged at Los Angeles County Museum of Art". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  16. ↑ Velie, Elaine (2022-11-10). "Iran Massacre Prompts Poignant Protest at LACMA". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  17. ↑ "Biểu Tình tại Bảo Tàng Nghệ Thuật Los Angeles: Phản Đối Vi Phạm Nhân Quyền ở Iran" [Protests at the Los Angeles Museum of Art: Protesting Human Rights Violation in Iran]. Việt Báo Daily News. November 18, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Iran protesters defy police to mark 40 days since Mahsa Amini's death". CBS News. October 26, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  19. ↑ "تجمعات و تظاهرات ایرانیان و کنشگران نقاط مختلف جهان در همبستگی با خیزش مردم ایران" [Gatherings and demonstrations of Iranians and activists from different parts of the world in solidarity with the uprising of the Iranian people]. ایران اینترنشنال (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  20. ↑ "یادبود خدانور لجه‌ای با بستن دست‌ها به میله در لس‌آنجلس آمریکا" [Khudanoor Lejahi memorial with hands tied to a pole in Los Angeles, USA], VOA (in Persian), retrieved 2022-11-20
  21. ↑ Kaggere, Niranjan (November 18, 2022). "Bengaluru: Two Iranian women protest against brutalities back home". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  22. ↑ "'Woman must have choice on what to wear'". Bangalore Mirror. November 20, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  23. ↑ Merzbach, Scott (November 30, 2022). "Standing against a 'bloody regime': UMass groups join in national standout to support protesters in Iran". Daily Hampshire Gazette.
  24. ↑ "مولوی عبدالحمید: با دست خالی نمی‌توان پاسگاه تصرف کرد؛ «گروهک تروریستی» در کار نبوده" [Maulvi Abdul Hamid: You can't capture a checkpoint with your bare hands; "Terrorist group" was not involved]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  25. ↑ "Activists, artists collaborate to honor protester killed during demonstrations in Iran". CBS News. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  26. ↑ Schrader, Emily (2023-02-03). "Mural of support for Iranian protesters unveiled in Nazareth". YNetNews. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
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