Khaled Mollaei and Mohammad Mohammadlou shot dead by Iranian forces during protests in Bandar Abbas

Hengaw – Sunday, January 11, 2026 

Iranian government forces opened fire during protests in Bandar Abbas, killing Khaled Mollaei and Mohammad  Mohammadlou.  

According to information received by the  Hengaw  Organization for Human Rights, Khaled Mollaei, a university student originally from  Harmoud  village in the Sahra-ye Bagh district of  Larestan County, Fars Province, and a resident of Bandar Abbas, was shot and killed on the evening of Thursday, January 8, 2026. Mohammad  Mohammadlou was also killed during the same incident. 

Based on video footage of Mollaei’s body and  subsequent  verification, Hengaw  has confirmed that he was targeted by direct gunfire from government forces while returning home with his brother. 

Khaled Mollaei was the son of Abdulhamid Mollaei, a well-known Sunni religious figure in  Larestan. Hengaw  has learned that authorities have refused to hand over Mollaei’s body to his family and have warned them to repeat the official narrative, which falsely claims he was killed by protesters. 

In the same incident, Mohammad Mohammadlou was also shot dead by government forces in Bandar Abbas. Further details  regarding  the circumstances of his killing remain under investigation.