Abolfazl Tavousi Nikabadi, a 20-year-old only child and professional bodybuilder from Nikabad, Jarqouyeh County, Isfahan Province, died on January 9, 2026. He was killed by a gunshot wound to the back of his head with a live bullet, reportedly by suppressive Basij and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in front of a Basij base during the national uprising.
After his death, Abolfazl's family went to the hospital to retrieve his body. Initially, the body was withheld, and they were told it had to be transferred to the forensic medicine department. The family rejected this request and stormed the hospital that same night to forcibly retrieve his body. They took Abolfazl's body home and bid farewell to him until morning.
Early the next morning, on January 10, 2026, he was buried in a designated section of Nikabad. His body was covered with the national Lion and Sun flag, a symbol of monarchical Iran, and another flag was also placed on his body in the grave. A large number of people from Nikabad and Nikshahr, Isfahan, attended his funeral and chanted protest slogans against the leaders of the Islamic Republic, including “Death to Khamenei,” “Khamenei is a murderer, his rule is illegitimate,” and “Long Live the Shah.” The Lion and Sun flag was also raised over his grave.
Local sources indicate that his family has been pressured to refrain from publicizing the matter and has been forced to accept a specific official narrative of his death. Abolfazl was remembered as a “monarchist youth” and a “brave athlete” who dreamed of a free Iran.