Masoud Zatparvar
The most beloved bodybuilder in Iran’s history
Masoud (Mehdi) Zatparvar (August 4, 1986 – January 8, 2026) was a world champion bodybuilder who was killed in Rasht by forces of the Islamic Republic during the 2025 Iranian uprising.
Masoud Zatparvar was born in Rasht on August 4, 1986. He came from an entirely athletic family: his father, Majid Zatparvar, and his uncle, Mohammad Zatparvar, were both bodybuilding champions. His two brothers, Moein and Mahyar, are also prominent bodybuilding champions.
He completed his studies in exercise physiology through a master’s degree and was a doctoral student in the same field, a path left unfinished by his death.
Zatparvar was a kind and charitable person who managed two charitable organizations.
During his professional career, he achieved numerous national and international titles, including:
Asian Junior Champion, 2011, Japan
National Champion, 2008
Member of the national team, 2010
Champion of Champions (Overall), 2012
Winner of the national team selection competition, 2013
World Champion and Overall Champion, 2013
Invited to the Arnold Classic USA and crowned champion, 2014
He later continued his work in Rasht as a fitness coach and was also well known on Instagram as a health, coaching, and nutrition blogger.
Ronnie Coleman, the legendary world bodybuilding champion, also paid tribute to Zatparvar by sharing a video. Former footballer Javad Kazemian, posting images of Zatparvar and Mojtaba Torshizi, wrote: “What a beautiful death you had.” Datuk Paul Chua, president of the World Bodybuilding Federation, also described the killing of Masoud Zatparvar as “truly heartbreaking.”
On January 10, after news of Zatparvar’s killing spread and drew international reactions, his Instagram page was taken offline by the regime.
Masoud Zatparvar was born in Rasht on August 4, 1986. He came from an entirely athletic family: his father, Majid Zatparvar, and his uncle, Mohammad Zatparvar, were both bodybuilding champions. His two brothers, Moein and Mahyar, are also prominent bodybuilding champions.
He completed his studies in exercise physiology through a master’s degree and was a doctoral student in the same field, a path left unfinished by his death.
Zatparvar was a kind and charitable person who managed two charitable organizations.
During his professional career, he achieved numerous national and international titles, including:
Asian Junior Champion, 2011, Japan
National Champion, 2008
Member of the national team, 2010
Champion of Champions (Overall), 2012
Winner of the national team selection competition, 2013
World Champion and Overall Champion, 2013
Invited to the Arnold Classic USA and crowned champion, 2014
He later continued his work in Rasht as a fitness coach and was also well known on Instagram as a health, coaching, and nutrition blogger.
Ronnie Coleman, the legendary world bodybuilding champion, also paid tribute to Zatparvar by sharing a video. Former footballer Javad Kazemian, posting images of Zatparvar and Mojtaba Torshizi, wrote: “What a beautiful death you had.” Datuk Paul Chua, president of the World Bodybuilding Federation, also described the killing of Masoud Zatparvar as “truly heartbreaking.”
On January 10, after news of Zatparvar’s killing spread and drew international reactions, his Instagram page was taken offline by the regime.
We only want our rights. A voice that has been suffocated for forty years must be shouted out. You are the reason for what our lives have become. You took our youth, our hope, our dreams, even the bare minimum from us. Today, I am here so that tomorrow I do not look at myself in the mirror and say I was spineless, that I had no honor. I am standing here, and I will pay whatever price it takes. I, Masoud Zatparvar, am in the street today. I have no fear and no anxiety. I want my rights.
Video Tribute
Sources
wikipedia
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