Mehrnoush Ebrahimi Roshan, a courageous medical student turned revolutionary, became a powerful symbol of resistance against the Pahlavi regime.
Born in 1947 in the village of Roshanabad near Babol in northern Iran, she was just 24 when her life became entwined with one of the most pivotal chapters in Iran’s political history.
While studying at the University of Tehran’s School of Medicine, Ebrahimi joined the burgeoning student movement—a decision that would set her on a path toward deeper political activism. Her growing commitment to justice and freedom led her to join the Fedayeen-e Khalq. Alongside her political activism, she also practiced medicine in Tehran hospitals, seamlessly balancing care with resistance.
In the summer of 1971, Ebrahimi was arrested in northern Iran with several comrades. Yet in a daring escape, she managed to slip through the grasp of SAVAK, the Shah’s notorious secret police. Her defiance didn’t end there.
On October1, 1971, security forces stormed her safe house in Tehran. Surrounded and outnumbered, she fought valiantly, throwing grenades and exchanging fires with agents until the very end. She was killed in action, becoming a martyr for a movement that would later help shape modern Iran.
Mehrnoush Ebrahimi holds the distinction of being the first female martyr of Iran’s armed revolutionary struggle. In breaking through the rigid barriers of a patriarchal society, she paved the way for other women to take up active roles in political resistance.
Her family was never informed of her burial site; like many dissidents of the era, her body was interred in secrecy by the regime.
Her legacy endures as a powerful reminder of bravery, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Today, the name Mehrnoush Ebrahimi stands as a beacon for those who continue to challenge oppression and demand freedom.
