Mehdi Zatparvar was killed by gunfire from Iranian government forces on Friday.
A former bodybuilding champion was killed during peaceful protests in Iran on Friday.
Mehdi Zatparvar died after being shot by Iranian government forces in the city of Rasht in Gilan Province, according to multiple reports. According to CNN, security forces cracked down violently on anti-government protests that were sweeping across Iran. It has been speculated that over 500 protesters have been killed over the past two weeks but this exact figure has not been confirmed.
Zatparvar, 39, is a bodybuilding coach and competitor who began training at a young age with his father.
Zatparvar was the son of Majod Zatparvar, a well-known bodybuilding coach who owned his own gym. This is where Zatparvar began training at just 13 years old. He eventually gained a passion for strength sports and turned it into a career in fitness. Zatparvar won multiple titles in powerlifting between 2011 and 2014.
On the bodybuilding stage, Zatparvar was a two-time World Classic Bodybuilding champion. He held a master’s degree in sports physiology, which allowed him to get into coaching as well.
Bodybuilding Champion Killed In Iran During Protests
Mehdi Zatparvar has been active on social media with different workouts and posing videos. Recently, his posts shifted with his most recent one coming five days ago.
“I just want my right.
A voice that has been silenced me for forty years must be shouted.
You are the cause of our days.
You took away our youth, hopes, dreams and the minimums.”
Mehdi Zatparvar was part of protests in Iran at the time of his death. Recently, former Ukrainian powerlifting champion Yuliia Lemeshchenko was sentenced to 19 years in prison by a Russian court. She was accused of treason and sabotage against Russia. Lemeshckenko moved to Kharkiv in 2014 with her family and this is where she began her professional powerlifting career. She held Russian citizenship, which she attempted to denounce multiple times, but remained open about her position over the years involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Lemeshchenko was pro-Ukraine during these events and was eventually accused of sabotage, treason, and terrorism in Russia. She did not feel guilty about her actions since she views Ukraine as her home. Prosecutors originally asked for a 23-year sentence but the judge sentenced the powerlifter to 19 years when she was brought in front of a Russian court.
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