Hengaw releases new details on Ariana Arjomandi, gay protester killed by Iranian forces

Hengaw – Monday, February 16, 2026

Ariana Arjomandi, a 23-year-old from Borujerd who was shot and killed by Iranian forces during the recent protests, identified himself as a gay man.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Arjomandi was killed on Thursday, January 8, 2026, during protests in Borujerd. 

Several months before his killing, he had spoken with trusted friends about his sexual identity and had openly identified himself as a gay man.

In conversations with friends, he stated clearly that many people close to him held different assumptions about his identity. However, he identified himself as a gay man and had been preparing to come out publicly about his sexual orientation beyond his immediate circle.

In discussions with one of his close friends, Hengaw learned that Arjomandi had faced persistent queerphobia in his personal life. Despite these pressures, he had hoped that, at the right time, others would come to know him by his true identity.

Hengaw had previously reported that Ariana Arjomandi, a 23-year-old Lor from Borujerd, was shot and killed on the evening of Thursday, January 8, 2026, while attempting to flee from a plainclothes government agent during the recent protests.

Authorities conditioned the release of his body on his family publicly identifying him as a Basij member and agreeing to bury him in another city. After the family refused, his body was buried at night, without public notice and in silence.

Arjomandi was a psychology student with two years remaining before graduation. He had been learning German and planned to migrate to Germany to pursue a master’s degree.