With four additional cases identified, number of women killed in popular protests rises to 20

Hengaw – Friday, January 16, 2026

With the identification of four additional cases, the number of women killed during popular protests has risen to 20. Semin Rostami, Samaneh Mirzaei, Shabnam Ferdowsi, and Zahra Fazeli were killed by direct gunfire from government repressive forces during protests in Bushehr, Karaj, and Tehran.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Samaneh Mirzaei, a 30-year-old resident of Tehran, was killed by direct gunfire from government forces on Friday, January 9, during protests on Navab Street in Tehran.

On the same day, Zahra Fazeli, a 38-year-old resident of Bushehr and holder of a PhD in MBA, was shot and killed during protests in the city. According to informed sources, she was critically injured after being struck by two live bullets to her side and later died after being transferred to hospital. Zahra Fazeli’s body was released from the hospital only after four days of repeated follow-ups by her family at various medical and administrative centers. She was buried on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Also, Semin Rostami, a 42-year-old resident of Karaj and a nurse at Aram Hospital, was killed by direct gunfire from government repressive forces on the evening of Thursday, January 8, during protests in the city.
Sources report that she was shot from behind while attempting to help another woman who was being beaten by repressive forces. She died after sustaining severe injuries caused by a live bullet that struck her spleen. An informed source told Hengaw that authorities prevented her burial in the city’s main cemetery, and her body was buried on Tuesday, January 13, after payment of fees, in cemeteries on the outskirts of the city. Semin Rostami was married and the mother of two children. According to the death notice sent to Hengaw, her third- and seventh-day memorial ceremonies were held simultaneously on Wednesday, January 14.

Meanwhile, during protests on Thursday, January 8, Shabnam Ferdowsi, a young woman from Tehran, was also killed by direct gunfire from government forces. A source told Hengaw that her brother identified her body after hours of searching among dozens of corpses inside a truck. Hengaw has learned that Shabnam Ferdowsi’s parents had previously passed away; she lived with her brother, and her only source of income was selling handmade dolls she produced herself.

Based on data recorded by the Statistics and Documentation Center of Hengaw, the identities of 20 women killed by government repressive forces during popular protests in various cities have now been verified and published following fact-checking by Hengaw’s team.