We speak their names so they never disappear
Remembering Iranian Lives
Honoring the Memory of Those Lost to Tyranny
Behind every name is someone who loved, dreamed, and was taken from us. We gather their stories here — a lasting home when social posts disappear. Families can claim their loved one's page and keep their memory alive.
Search across all documented victims by name, description, occupation, or location
Moments That Shattered Lives
Days and nights when families were torn apart. These are the events that stole mothers, fathers, children, and friends from us.
Iran-Iraq War
The Longest War: The 8-Year Conflict That Shaped a GenerationDate: September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988 Category: War & History...
Executions in the First Decade
The years immediately following the 1979 Islamic Revolution were defined by a systematic elimination of perceived "enemies of the state." While the 1988 massacres are often the most discussed, the...
Mahsa Amini Protests / Woman Life Freedom
Woman, Life, Freedom: The Uprising That Changed Iran ForeverDate: September 16, 2022 – Ongoing Category: Human Rights & Social Movements...
The Great Massacre
The protests of January 2026, known among Iranians as the "Bloody Dey of 1404," represented the most widespread and lethal challenge to the Islamic Republic since its inception. Triggered by a...
Saravan Massacre
On February 22-23, 2021, Iranian security forces killed at least 40 Baloch fuel porters in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchestan province. The massacre occurred when border guards and IRGC forces opened fire on unarmed fuel traders, sparking protests that were also violently suppressed.
2024 Kerman Bombings
On January 3, 2024, two suicide bombings killed at least 94 people and injured 284 others near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman during commemorations for Qasem Soleimani. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest terrorist attack in Iran since 1979.
Faces We Must Not Forget
People recently added to our memorial. Look into their eyes. Say their names. Carry their memory with you.
Sara (Darya) Ebrahimi
Mina Pakmanesh
Ali Mohammadi
Alireza Eftakhari
Sadegh Yousefi
Tara Rasoulzadeh
Omid Fallahpour
Ali Allahyarbiki
Abolfazl Paydar
Pouya Derakhshan
Mohammad javad hozouri
Ramtin Paydar
Explore the Interactive Map
Every province holds stories of loss. Walk the map to find the hometowns, neighborhoods, and villages where our loved ones lived — and where they were taken from us.
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Statistics & Analysis
Numbers can numb us. These charts exist to help us grasp the scale of what was done — so we never look away from the human cost.
Track casualties over time
Major events by casualty count
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Years of Unspeakable Loss
A painful journey through the massacres that scarred our nation — told not as data points, but as chapters in the lives of real people.
Cinema Rex Fire
Cinema Rex: The Fire That Burned a Regime (and the Truth)Date: August 19, 1978 (28 Mordad 1357) Category: Political History / State CrimesOn the night of August 19, 1978, the Cinema Rex in Abadan was set ablaze during a screening of the film The Deer. The doors were locked, and over 400 people burned to death. While this tragedy was the spark that ignited the 1979 Revolution, history has since revealed a darker reality behind the smoke.The Immediate Aftermath: Blaming the ShahAt the time, the narrative was clear: the public and the revolutionary leadership, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, blamed SAVAK (the Shah’s secret police). They argued that the Shah was trying to frame the Islamists to justify a crackdown. This accusation was effectively the "final nail in the coffin" for the Pahlavi dynasty, mobilizing millions of Iranians who chanted "Burn the Shah" in the streets.The Uncomfortable Truth: Revolutionary InvolvementDecades later, historical evidence, confessions, and investigative reports have shifted the blame away from the Shah and toward radical revolutionary elements.The Perpetrator: The fire was started by Hossein Takbalizadeh, a petty criminal and drug addict who had been radicalized. In his post-revolution trial, he confessed that he and his accomplices set the fire to "serve the revolution," believing that burning a center of "Western corruption" would hasten the Shah's fall.Clerical Connections: Takbalizadeh stated he was acting under the influence and guidance of local revolutionary cells. Evidence points to the involvement of key clerical figures in Abadan (such as the "Rashidian" circle) who facilitated or encouraged such acts to destabilize the city.The Role of Mousavi TabriziThe post-revolution trial in 1980 was highly controversial. It was presided over by Seyyed Hossein Mousavi Tabrizi, a hardline cleric and close associate of Khomeini.The Cover-Up: During the trial, Takbalizadeh admitted to his revolutionary motives. However, Mousavi Tabrizi, acting as both judge and prosecutor, aggressively dismissed these confessions. To maintain the official narrative that "SAVAK did it," Tabrizi labeled Takbalizadeh a SAVAK agent—a charge Takbalizadeh vehemently denied until his execution.Accusations of Complicity: Critics and dissident historians argue that Mousavi Tabrizi’s rushed execution of Takbalizadeh and the cinema owners was a deliberate move to bury the evidence of clerical involvement in the atrocity. Some testimonies suggest that the order for the arson may have originated from high-ranking clerical circles in Qom or Najaf to create a "martyrdom" event that would incense the public.
The 1979 Kurdish Conflict and Government Crackdown
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Kurdish people sought political autonomy and the recognition of their national rights within a democratic Iran. Instead of addressing these peaceful demands, the newly established Islamic Republic responded with military force. In August 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a "Jihad Fatwa" against the Kurdish region, declaring a full-scale military offensive. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Army were deployed to cities like Sanandaj, Mahabad, and Paveh, leading to intense armed conflict.This period was marked by severe state violence, including the indiscriminate shelling of Kurdish towns and villages. The notorious "Hanging Judge," Sadegh Khalkhali, was dispatched to the region, ordering the summary execution of hundreds of political prisoners and civilians without fair trials. While the Kurdish Peshmerga mounted a fierce resistance to defend their territories, the government’s brutal crackdown resulted in thousands of casualties, mass displacement, and a legacy of suppression that continued for years. This event is often remembered by Kurds not as a riot, but as a war imposed upon them for demanding self-determination.
Executions in the First Decade
The years immediately following the 1979 Islamic Revolution were defined by a systematic elimination of perceived "enemies of the state." While the 1988 massacres are often the most discussed, the groundwork was laid during the bloody purge that took place between 1979 and 1987. During this period, the machinery of the Revolutionary Courts was established, and thousands were sent to firing squads and gallows.Phase I: The Roof of Refah School (Feb–May 1979)Within hours of the monarchy's collapse in February 1979, the new regime set up ad-hoc tribunals. The first wave of executions took place on the rooftop of the Refah School in Tehran, which served as Ayatollah Khomeini's headquarters.Target: The Shah’s top generals and ministers.Key Victims: General Nader Jahanbani (the "Blue Eyed General"), Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, and SAVAK chief Nematollah Nassiri.Method: Summary trials presided over by Sadegh Khalkhali, often lasting only minutes, followed immediately by firing squads.Phase II: The Ethnic Crackdowns (1979–1980)As the central government sought to impose control over the provinces, waves of executions were launched to suppress ethnic uprisings in Kurdistan, Khuzestan, and Turkmen Sahra.Khalkhali was dispatched to Kurdistan in August 1979. In a now-infamous event near Sanandaj, he ordered the summary execution of Kurdish rebels and activists. Photos of these firing squads later won the Pulitzer Prize, exposing the brutality of the new order to the world.Phase III: The War on Dissent (1981–1987)The violence escalated dramatically after June 1981, following the ousting of President Abolhassan Banisadr and the outbreak of open conflict between the regime and the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and other leftist groups.The "Terror" of 1981: In this year alone, thousands of young dissidents—many of them high school or university students—were arrested and executed.Daily Gazettes: Newspapers in Tehran routinely published lists of hundreds of names of those executed the previous night, charging them with "waging war against God" (Moharebeh).Prisons: Evin Prison became a factory of death, with the nightly sound of firing squads becoming a grim routine for the residents of northern Tehran.For the culmination of these events, read our detailed report on the 1988 Mass Executions.