TEHRAN – Images of a former traceur and mourning ceremony for General Qassem Soleimani by Iranian photographers have received nominations at the 2021 World Press Photo Awards.

The photo series “Thoughts of Flight” by Fereshteh Eslahi has been nominated in the 2021 sports stories category.

The series depicts Saeid Ramin, a former professional traceur – practitioner of parkour – who lives in the Iranian town of Gachsaran. He fell in a parkour competition seven years ago, injuring the spinal cord in his neck. His injury when he fell was so severe that he could only blink, and doctors said he wouldn’t even be able to sit in a wheelchair. Saeid couldn’t afford extended hospital treatment, but with the help of his family, he improvised rehabilitation equipment in his yard, and despite the doctors’ predictions, was able to regain the mobility of his hands. Saeid regained more of his abilities, and is now able to manage a wheelchair. He still likes to do things other people are afraid of.

Eslahi is a graduate of the University of Tehran with a master’s degree in theater art, and has been working as a photojournalist with Iranian news agencies since 2014.

Newsha Tavakolian’s single photo shows women mourning during a commemoration service for Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani in Tehran on 4 January, 2020 just one day after his assassination.

Tavakolian is a self-taught photojournalist and documentary photographer, working with Magnum Photos. Her photo has been nominated in the General News category.

General Soleimani was assassinated along with a number of his comrades at Baghdad airport in a U.S. airstrike. Millions of Iranians attended his funeral ceremonies. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called him a living martyr of the revolution before his assassination.

The winners of the World Press Photo of the Year and the World Press Photo Story of the Year awards receive prizes of €5,000 each.

The winners of the 2021 Photo Contest and the 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest will be announced on April 15 during an online awards ceremony.

Photo: This photo by Newsha Tavakolian has been nominated at the 2021 World Press Photo Awards in the General News category.

MMS/YAW