Iranian Man Found Dead After Posting Video Burning Khamenei’s Image

Iranian police say a 27-year-old man found dead with a gunshot wound in western Iran "died by suicide," but friends are questioning the official account after he posted anti-government messages on social media a day earlier.

The body of Omid Sarlak was discovered on Saturday inside a vehicle near a sports stadium in Aligudarz, a city in Lorestan province, according to local police.

Authorities said a handgun was found next to the body.

A day before his death, Sarlak posted an Instagram story showing himself burning a picture of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In another post, using the hashtag #DeathToKhamenei, he wrote, “How long humiliation, how long poverty, how long being exploited. Now is the time to show yourself, young man.”

Ali Asadollahi, the Aligudarz police commander, confirmed that a young man’s body had been found in a vehicle and claimed, “This person committed suicide with a handgun.” 

He said the case had been referred to detectives to investigate the cause and motive.

However, Ebrahim Es-haghi, a wrestler and friend of executed protesters Amin Bazrgar and Navid Afkari, described Sarlak’s death as “suspicious” in a video statement.

Es-haghi said Sarlak had contacted him before his death, warning that his life might be in danger.

Iran has a history of disputed deaths involving government critics and protesters. Human rights groups have documented multiple cases of activists found dead under circumstances that families and associates dispute as suicides.

Burning images of Khamenei is considered a serious offense in Iran, where “insulting the Supreme Leader” can carry lengthy prison sentences.