A Life Taken Too Soon in the Fight for Freedom
Bahar (Roghayeh) Khorshidi, born on December 4, 1999, was a bright young woman. Bahar Khorshidi was a talented painter and an English teacher, known for her artistic skills and her passion for teaching.
Like her name, which means “spring,” Bahar’s life was brief, but she left a lasting impact. She was tragically killed during the 2022 uprising in Iran, giving her life in the struggle for freedom.
Bahar lived with her parents, her 12-year-old brother, and two sisters in Robat Karim, a city located southwest of Tehran. In addition to teaching, Bahar worked as an English translator, even translating films.
She was a gifted artist who could draw without formal training. Often, she would sketch the faces of her friends while they chatted, creating beautiful portraits. Music was another one of her passions.
The 2022 protests erupted following the killing of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, and Bahar could no longer remain indifferent. She had recently won the U.S. green card lottery, so her father warned her not to take risks, saying she had a future in America. Bahar, however, responded, “America doesn’t matter to me anymore. People my age are sacrificing their lives here for freedom.”
Bahar Khorshidi was one of the many young women who played an active role in the 2022 uprising. She would write protest slogans by hand at home and distribute them in the streets or paste them on the walls of the city.
The way Bahar died is yet another testament to the brutal nature of the Iranian regime, which tolerates no dissent.
On September 23, 2022, regime security forces stormed the apartment complex where Bahar lived in Robat Karim. Around 12 armed agents broke into her family’s home, terrorizing them. Neighbors soon heard Bahar’s screams, followed by a loud thud. When they looked out their windows, they saw Bahar’s body lying on the ground. She had been thrown from the window.
Her father, Mohammad Khorshidi, arrived at the scene to find his daughter covered in blood. Despite rushing her to the hospital, Bahar could not be saved.
At the same time, regime forces sealed off the Khorshidi family’s home. They planted weapons inside and claimed Bahar had been planning an armed rebellion. They even opened a case against her sister. That same day, Bahar’s mother and sister were briefly arrested but released a day later.
Bahar Khorshidi was buried under tight security at Imamzadeh Baqer Cemetery in Salehiyeh, near Robat Karim. Authorities did not allow her family to hold any funeral services.
The regime falsely claimed that Bahar Khorshidi had committed suicide and put so much pressure on her family that they were forced to relocate to the city of Gorgan.
Bahar was only 23 years old when her life was cruelly cut short, but her legacy lives on in the hearts of the women and girls who continue to rise up for justice. Her blood has become the lifeblood of the movement, ensuring the inevitable triumph of the Iranian people’s democratic revolution.
