Parsa Saffar

Their life

Parsa Saffar was an Iranian medical student and a graduate of Iran’s National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents. At the time of his death, he was a fifth-year student at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, reflecting strong academic achievement. On January 10, 2026, he was killed during protests in Mashhad, after being struck by live ammunition fired by government forces.

Parsa Saffar was considered a high-achieving student, having entered medical school with a national entrance exam rank of 348, a competitive accomplishment in Iran. As a member of Iran’s elite academic talent system, he represented a generation of educated youth with professional aspirations in public service and healthcare. His death during the protests highlights the extent to which the government’s response affected not only activists, but also students and civilians with no record of violent activity. Human rights organizations later documented his killing as part of a broader pattern of lethal force used against protesters in Mashhad.

How they died

Parsa Saffar was killed because he participated in or was present during popular anti-government protests in Iran. These protests were part of a nationwide movement driven by public anger over political repression, economic hardship, and lack of civil freedoms.

Iranian security forces used live gunfire to suppress demonstrations in Mashhad. On the night of January 10, 2026, Parsa Saffar was fatally struck by live ammunition during these protests. His killing was not reported as occurring during armed conflict, but during a civilian protest, making it part of what rights groups describe as excessive and unlawful use of lethal force against demonstrators.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Parsa Saffar, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources