Eight women killed during protests in Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Gilan
Hengaw – Wednesday, January 21, 2026
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has verified the identities of eight women who were killed after being shot by Iranian government forces during recent protests in Kermanshah (Kermashan), Gilan, and Isfahan. Among the victims were three Kurdish women and two Gilak women.
With these cases, the total number of women killed during the recent protests has risen to 42.
All eight women were killed on Thursday, January 8, 2026. Their identities and details are as follows:
Melika Dastiyab (Shahmoradi), a 21-year-old Kurdish woman and a follower of the Yarsan faith from Kerend-e Gharb (Dalahu County), was killed by direct gunfire from government forces in the Moallem Township area of Kermanshah. She was buried in her hometown following a funeral attended by large numbers of residents.
Elham Zeinali, a Kurdish woman and a supervisor at Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, was critically injured after being struck by live ammunition to her lower back, abdomen, and uterus during the protests. Despite being transferred to hospital and undergoing surgery, she later died from her injuries. She was buried on January 13, 2026, at Bagh-e Ferdows Cemetery in Kermanshah.
Taybeh Rezaei, another Kurdish woman from Kermanshah, was shot dead by government forces in the Moallem Township neighborhood of the city.
Parisa Taghibi, a 45-year-old resident of Rasht, the head of her household and a mother of two daughters, was killed by direct gunfire during protests in the city. Her family was not permitted to hold any mourning ceremony, and her body was buried at approximately 3:00 a.m. without the presence of family members.
Parvaneh Khojandi Rad, a 50-year-old Gilak woman from Lahijan, was shot in the head and killed while she was in the street with her two daughters.
Zahra Mahmoudpour, from Isfahan and a master’s student of electrical engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology, was killed after being shot directly in the face during protests in Najafabad, Isfahan.
Fatemeh Tabibi, a 40-year-old resident of Isfahan and an accountant at Sepehr Electrical Shop, was shot in the head with live ammunition during protests in the city. She was critically injured and later died after being transferred to a medical clinic. Sources reported that she was shot in front of her young child.
Niloufar Masoudi, a resident of Isfahan and an employee of the Stock Exchange Hall, was killed by direct gunfire from government forces in the Baharestan neighborhood of the city.
