As the nationwide uprising in Iran surges forward into 2026, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) has released the names of two more valiant souls who laid down their lives for freedom. Dr. Naeem Abdollahi, a distinguished academic and Resistance Unit commander, and Mohammad Bahrami, a young supporter, were murdered by the regime’s repressive forces during the bloody crackdown in early January. Their deaths, occurring amidst an uprising that has shaken the pillars of the theocracy, underscore the depth of the resistance against the mullahs’ dictatorship.
The scholar commander: Dr. Naeem Abdollahi
Naeem Abdollahi represented the intellectual prowess and unwavering determination of Iran’s new generation of leaders. At 34, he held a Juris Doctor degree and served as an assistant professor of political science at Tehran University. However, his commitment to liberty transcended the classroom. Following the 2022 protests, he was expelled from his university post for organizing students. On January 8, while commanding a group of Resistance Units in Tehran’s Naziabad district, he was shot dead by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Naeem Abdollahi, 34, a PMOI Resistance Unit commander, was shot dead by the criminal IRGC on January 8 in Tehran’s southern Nazi Abad district. He held a Juris Doctor degree, was a political scientist, and served as an assistant professor at Tehran University.
Born in Kermanshah… pic.twitter.com/BST5mcjfqw
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 30, 2026
Born in Kermanshah, Naeem had a history of defiance, having been imprisoned in Evin Prison in 2018. In one of his messages, he pledged his life to the cause, describing the resistance leadership as the “nightly nightmare of the bloodthirsty Khamenei.” He wrote:
“In these dark days, following the fall of the 1,500 martyrs of November [2019] and the massacre of our people during the pandemic, I wish to renew my vow. I do not know by what providence I, Naeem, have reached this stage of life and joined this organization… a movement whose leadership is the nightly nightmare of the bloodthirsty Khamenei. How fortunate I am to be a single drop in this ocean of sacrifice.
“Life is my least significant possession; there is no guarantee of eternal survival in human existence. Yet, how sweet is death when it is wedded to the ideal of Freedom. In the lineage of 100,000 martyrs for liberty, and the 30,000 massacred in that crimson summer [of 1988], I, as a humble soldier, swear to remain faithful to this path and this cause.”
Brutality against the youth
The regime’s savagery knows no bounds, as evidenced by the murder of 18-year-old Mohammad Bahrami in Azadshahr, Golestan. On January 6, state agents attacked the young PMOI supporter with knives and machetes before shooting him—a heinous act designed to terrorize the youth who have flooded the streets.
PMOI supporter Mohammad Bahrami, 18, was brutally killed in Azadshahr, Golestan, on January 6, during the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people.
In a heinous act, the regime's agents first stabbed and slashed him with knives and machetes before shooting him.Rest in peace.… pic.twitter.com/DAumqv3mZs
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 30, 2026
These sacrifices are occurring within a protest wave that began on December 28, 2025. Initially sparked by bazaar shopkeepers in Tehran protesting the rial’s collapse and soaring prices, the movement rapidly evolved. Demands for economic relief quickly transformed into explicitly political slogans calling for regime change. The unrest spread geographically to hundreds of locations and socially into universities. In response, the regime carried out a severe state crackdown and communications blackout that continues into late January 2026. Thousands of civilians were slaughtered by the regime’s forces. The PMOI has so far identified more than 1,400 of the martyrs.
A mosaic of sacrifice across generations
Naeem and Mohammad are not alone. They join a diverse roster of martyrs that reflects the unity of Iranian society against the regime. This list includes Abbasali Ramezani, a 74-year-old veteran PMOI member and former political prisoner killed in Mashhad on January 19, alongside university students like Zahra Bohlouli-Pour and teenage workers like Reza Ghanbari and the Kadivarian brothers, who were killed in Kermanshah earlier this month.
We are releasing the names of six PMOI Resistance Units killed by the mullahs' regime during the nationwide uprising. These were young freedom fighters who wanted nothing other than freedom for their country.#IranProtests #IranRevolutionpic.twitter.com/6GseocmARn
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 16, 2026
From the halls of Tehran University to the streets of Golestan, these brave souls have joined the 120,000 martyrs who have fallen for freedom over the past four decades. Their blood will not be in vain; the regime will be held to account, and their legacy fuels the millions of Iranians now fighting to overthrow the mullahs’ dictatorship.