Five women, one aged 15, killed during protests in Iran
Hengaw – Thursday, January 15, 2026
At least five women, including a 15-year-old child, were killed during recent protests in the cities of Isfahan, Gorgan, and Tehran. The victims have been identified as Arnika Dabbagh, Nasim Pouraqaei, Sahba Rashtian, Mobina Beheshti, and Nazli Janparvar.
According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Arnika Dabbagh, a 15-year-old girl from Gorgan, was killed by direct gunfire from Iranian government forces during protests in the city on Friday, January 10, 2026.
Sources told Hengaw that after being seriously wounded by direct gunfire, the child was unable to be transferred promptly to medical facilities due to a complete shutdown of communication lines. She later died as a result of the severity of her injuries.
On the same day, Sahba Rashtian, 23, was killed during protests in Isfahan after being shot with live ammunition by Iranian government forces, sustaining a fatal gunshot wound to her side. Her body was handed over to her family on Thursday, January 15, and she was buried.
Nasim Pouraqaei, who was married and the mother of two children, was killed during protests in Tehran on Thursday, January 9, 2026, amid a widespread crackdown and mass killings of citizens by Iranian government forces in the Sadeghieh area of the city.
A close relative told Hengaw that Pouraqaei was shot in the neck by Iranian government forces and died instantly. The source added that, due to fears that authorities would prevent the handover of her body, her husband was forced to carry her body himself for more than an hour.
On the same day, Mobina Beheshti, a 21-year-old woman from Gorgan, was killed by direct gunfire from Iranian government forces during protests in the city. According to informed sources, her body was handed over to her family on Saturday, January 11, and she was buried.
Nazli Janparvar, a 27-year-old woman from Bojnord, the capital of North Khorasan province, was killed during protests in Tehran on the evening of Thursday, January 9, 2026, after being shot by Iranian government forces.
