Identities of ten additional people killed in Iran protests verified
Hengaw – Friday, January 16, 2026
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has verified the identities of ten additional people, including six Gilak individuals, who were killed during protests in several Iranian cities as a result of direct gunfire by Iranian government forces.
The victims are Aria Alidoust, Fardin Ghanbari, Mohammad Ebrahimi, Meysam Yaghoubi, Mohammad Honarkhah, Behzad Shafiei, as well as Meysam Khazini, Yadollah Heydari, Seyed Abolfazl Kia, and Saeed Golsorkhi. They were killed during protests in Lahijan, Rasht, and Astaneh Ashrafieh in Gilan Province; Gorgan in Golestan Province; Sari and Chamestan in Mazandaran Province; and Shahroud in Semnan Province.
Saeed Golsorkhi, a 31-year-old powerlifting champion from Shahroud, was killed during protests in the city on Sunday, January 11, 2026. Informed sources report that he died after being struck by live ammunition to the head.
On Saturday, January 10, 2026, Meysam Yaghoubi, a 42-year-old resident of Lahijan, was shot dead during protests in the city after being struck by a live bullet to the heart in one of Lahijan’s alleys. Sources say Yaghoubi, who had recently become a father, was targeted while attempting to assist other injured protesters.
On Friday, January 9, 2026, Meysam Khazini, a 37-year-old resident of Gorgan, was killed during protests in the city as a result of direct gunfire by Iranian government forces. He was the father of a five-year-old daughter and worked as a chef in hotels and restaurants.
Behzad Shafiei, a resident of Astaneh Ashrafieh, was killed on Wednesday, January 8, 2026, during protests in the city after being shot by Iranian government forces.
On the same day, Mohammad Honarkhah, a 30-year-old resident of Rasht who had recently married, was also killed during protests in the city after being struck by live ammunition fired by government forces.
Aria Alidoust, a 28-year-old resident of Lahijan, was likewise killed during protests in the city as a result of direct gunfire by Iranian government forces.
During protests in Chamestan, Seyed Abolfazl Kia, 25, from Ahoudasht, and Yadollah Heydari, 40, from Abdolabad, were both killed after being shot directly by Iranian government forces.
At the same time, Mohammad Ebrahimi and Fardin Ghanbari, two residents of Sari, were targeted by gunfire from Iranian government forces at their workplace during protests in the city. Ebrahimi died the same night, while Ghanbari succumbed to his injuries several days later, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, after being hospitalized in critical condition.
According to informed sources, Mohammad Ebrahimi owned a small café named Café Melo on Mahdieh Street, where Fardin Ghanbari worked as a barista.
Based on data recorded by the Statistics and Documentation Center of Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the identities of at least 27 Gilak people who have been killed during the recent protests as a result of direct gunfire by Iranian government forces have so far been verified and published by Hengaw.
