Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
iranwire – On Thursday, January 8, Payam Babou-Kohestani and his wife left their two-year-old son at his sister’s house to join the ongoing protests.
A source told IranWire, “When the situation grew intense, Payam’s wife decided to return home for the sake of their child. She repeatedly urged Payam to return with her, but he refused.”
Around 9:00 PM, his wife received a phone call informing her that Payam had been shot and wounded.
“Other protesters had helped him and tied his leg to stop the bleeding. He had been hit in the thigh by live ammunition. Initially, fearing security forces, his relatives took him to a private home while they searched for a trusted doctor or nurse to treat him.”
According to the source, Payam was conscious and speaking at the time. He had personally provided his relatives’ contact information so they could be reached.
After about an hour, as his condition worsened, he was transferred to the Tamin Ejtemai (Social Security) Hospital.
“Despite the heavy blood loss, hospital staff claimed they had too many other wounded patients. It took four hours before they finally took him to the operating room.”
This source further alleges that on that single day, January 8, 39 protesters were killed in the city of Chalus.
Following his surgery, the hospital claimed they had no available ICU beds and transferred him to the Imam Reza Clinic in Chalus. “The Imam Reza Clinic belongs to the IRGC (Revolutionary Guard).
The family was deeply reluctant to take him there and wanted to move him to a hospital in a different city, but doctors insisted his condition was too critical and that he required immediate ICU admission.
They were forced to comply. However, only minutes after he was admitted to the clinic’s ICU, the family was informed that he had passed away.”
The source states that the Babou-Kohestani family was able to retrieve Payam’s body and bury him themselves in the city cemetery.
“The suppressive forces did not interfere with the funeral, seemingly because they knew the situation was volatile and could escalate further.”
Nevertheless, the source emphasized that security forces refused to hand over the bodies of many other victims, burying them in secret and later showing families photos of the deceased to identify their gravesites.
The source said, “So many people who loved life were buried under the soil in Chalus. Payam loved life; he joined the protests to fight for a better life. He was passionate about nature and heavy motorcycles, but now…”
