Hengaw verifies identity of four additional children killed by direct fire from state forces during popular protests
Hengaw — Thursday, January 15, 2026
Four children—including one Lor child—identified as Jabbar Panahi, Sina Ashkbousi, Abolfazl Yaghmouri, and Mohammad Nouri, were killed during the recent protests in the cities of Chenarshahijan (Qaemieh), Qom, Fardis, and Tehran after being directly shot with live ammunition by state forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Abolfazl Yaghmouri, a 17-year-old boy, was killed in Fardis, Karaj, on the evening of Friday, January 9, 2026, after being shot directly by state forces.
Informed sources stated that the child was struck by a live bullet to the heart. While suffering from severe bleeding, he was beaten, and authorities at the scene prevented people from transferring him to a hospital. He ultimately lost his life due to excessive blood loss.
According to the report, following the incident and in an apparent attempt to eliminate evidence, state forces collected all CCTV cameras in the neighborhood on 15th Street in Fardis. They also pressured the family, as a condition for releasing the body, to attribute his killing to protesters—an accusation the family refused to accept.
The child’s body was eventually handed over to his family from the Kahrizak Legal Medicine Organization, and he was buried at Behesht-e Sakineh Cemetery in Karaj.
It is reported that Abolfazl Yaghmouri had a strong interest in rap and poetry, and his works reflected notable creativity and artistic talent. He composed his poems himself and recorded them in a small studio inside his room.
At the same time, during the popular protests, Jabbar Panahi, a 16-year-old Lor child from Chenarshahijan (Qaemieh) in Fars Province, was killed in the city after being directly shot by state forces. According to informed sources, a live bullet struck his head.
Additionally, on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Sina Ashkbousi, a 17-year-old student, was wounded by live ammunition fired by state forces during protests in Tehran, in the Tehranpars neighborhood. He was transferred to Tehranpars Hospital (Sevom Square), where he later succumbed to the severity of his injuries.
The child’s body was eventually buried in a cemetery in Karaj. His family, under intense pressure and strict surveillance by government forces, was forced to hold the burial ceremony in silence.
It is reported that Sina Ashkbousi was a successful and talented student, and his family had planned for him to move to Canada to continue his education.
Another 17-year-old child, Mohammad Nouri from Qom, was killed during protests in the city after being shot by state forces on Friday, January 2, 2026. He was struck in the chest by pellet gun fire in the Towhid area.
The child’s body was not returned to his family. State authorities, without the family’s consent, buried him in Section 56 of Behesht-e Masoumeh Cemetery in Qom—one of the most remote and marginalized sections of the cemetery.
Mohammad Nouri was the son of a municipal worker in Qom and lived with his family in the Niroogah neighborhood, one of the city’s most deprived areas.
According to records documented by the Statistics and Documentation Center of the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, with these recent cases included, the number of verified children killed by Iranian state forces during the December Protests has risen to at least 12. Hengaw had previously reported the killing of at least eight other children during these protests.
