Names and photos have been circulating nonstop, of one victim after another, killed by the Iranian security forces in the nationwide protests against the government murder of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. So far, these perished victims have been mostly young Iranians full of hope and passion for life, who turned to the streets to peacefully protest for their freedom and right to choose.
Milan Haghighi is yet another victim of the recent protests in Iran, killed in the western city of Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan province.
In an interview with Zamaneh, Salim Haghighi, Milan’s father, confirmed that security forces killed his son in Oshnavieh, stating that three bullets killed Milan:
“As we all know, in Iran, they arrested Zhina from Saqqez, tortured and killed her. This resulted in widespread protests in various cities of Kurdistan, which spread to other cities in Iran as well. These protests began in Oshnavieh too, where my son was one of the protesters who chanted the slogans of “women, life, and liberty” in the streets alongside the people of Oshnavieh.”
Milan Haghighi was shot dead on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, on the second day of protests in Oshnavieh, and the fourth day of nationwide protests. According to his father, one bullet hit his right shoulder from behind and exited his chest, and two other bullets hit him in his leg, specifically, his thigh:
“Unfortunately, three young men were martyred in Oshnavieh. One was Sadruddin Litani, the second was Amin Marefat, and the third was my son Milan Haghighi. Sadruddin Litani and Amin Marefat died immediately, but Milan, who was seriously injured, was taken to the hospital and died in the hospital a few hours later.”
The border city of Oshnavieh has only one hospital named “Bani Akram,” where Milan Haghighi was most likely transferred after being wounded by the security force’s bullets.
Milan’s father, Salim Haghighi, has been living outside of Iran, in Norway, for many years. He says that the news of Milan’s death was so painful that he has been unable to track down the details, such as the exact location where he was shot.
Milan Haghighi was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on December 30, 2001. He was only 21 years old when he died during Iran protests. He has a younger sister named Melina, who also lives in Norway. Salim Haghighi says that Milan lived in Oshnavieh with his grandfather and grandmother, who he grew up with.
Milan’s father describes the day he had to break the news of Milan’s death to his younger sister as an extremely difficult day, but in the end, that enabled him to put together the whole story.
Salim Haghighi tells Zamaneh that his brother “Ayoub” had also been arrested:
“When Milan was in the hospital, my brother and my mother were also there, and (they) disrespected and insulted my mother a lot. My mother was not allowed to see Milan’s body. My brother tried to take the body from them, but they beat him and arrested him. Until now, we haven’t heard anything else from my brother, and we don’t know where he is.”
According to Milan’s father, Milan’s body was handed over to his family at 04:00 am, during which they were told that they had only one hour to carry out the funeral ceremony:
“They threatened our family and said that no one should participate in the funeral, which should be the same as the mourning ceremony. This has always been the hideous policy of the Islamic Republic; when they execute or kill someone, they also disrespect the body and the family.”
Milan Haghighi was finally buried on September 22 in the “Faqih Shaal” cemetery of “Sangan” village in Oshnavieh. Milan Haghighi had a high school diploma and worked for his grandfather:
“My parents are upset and sad because of Milan’s death…” Salim said.
Milan Haghighi’s father remembers his son:
“Today’s youth are very different from previous generations, and Milan, like today’s youth, had a freedom-loving personality. He was very fond of reading books, he read two books a week. He was a nice kid and the people who knew him were fond of him.”
Listen to our interview with Salim Haghighi, Milan’s father:
According to reports by Amnesty International published on September 23rd, over 30 people including children, have been killed by security forces using deadly weapons in the nationwide protests against the murder of Mahsa Amini.
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