Three protesters, including a child, killed as Iranian forces open fire in Azna

Hengaw – Thursday, January 1, 2026

Three protesters, including a child, were killed and at least 17 others injured during ongoing protests in the city of Azna, in Iran’s Lorestan province, after Iranian forces opened fire.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights confirmed that the victims were Mostafa (surname unknown), 15, Shayan Asadollahi, 30, and Vahab Musavi, all residents of Azna. They were killed on the evening of Thursday, January 1, 2026, when Iranian forces opened fire on demonstrators.

Iranian state media, including the government-affiliated Fars News Agency, claimed that protesters attempted to disarm government forces, alleging that this led to clashes. A media outlet close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps separately reported that several vehicles belonging to government forces were set ablaze during the unrest.

These latest deaths bring the total number of protesters killed by Iranian forces to seven. Hengaw had previously reported the killings of Ahmad Jalil, 21, and Sajjad Valamanesh, 28, both from Lordegan, as well as Dariush Ansari Bakhtiarwand from Fuladshahr and Amirhesam Khodayarifard from Kuhdasht.