Amid the continuation of anti-government protests across Iran, security forces of the Islamic Republic have attempted to suppress demonstrations through the use of live ammunition against protesters. Reports indicate that at least five protesters have been killed so far. The identities of three of the victims have been confirmed to AvaToday.
According to received reports, the killings of Shayan Asadollahi, Amirhesam Khodayari-Fard, and Dariush Ansari Bakhtiari-Vand by Iranian security forces have been verified.
A relative of Shayan Asadollahi, a 28-year-old protester, confirmed that he was shot and killed during popular protests in the city of Azna, Lorestan Province, on the evening of Thursday, January 1, 2026.
According to this source, several military Hilux vehicles belonging to the IRGC attacked Shayan and a group of protesters as they were returning from a protest gathering, during which security forces directly targeted Shayan with a military weapon. Evidence shows that a live bullet struck him in the abdomen.
Relatives of Amirhesam Khodayari-Fard, born on June 19, 2003, also confirmed that he was shot dead by security forces during protests in Kuhdasht on the evening of Wednesday, December 31, 2025. According to investigations by Iran International, Khodayari-Fard’s family are followers of the Yarsan faith and live under difficult economic conditions.
The report states that after killing him, authorities attempted to pressure the family—by threatening not to hand over his body and by offering financial incentives—to identify him as a Basij member.
Ali Sepahvand, the Friday prayer leader of Kuhdasht, reportedly visited Amirhesam’s father in an effort to persuade him, but the family has so far resisted. As of now, Amirhesam Khodayari-Fard’s body has not been returned to his family.
Videos from the moment his body was transferred show him lying wounded among protesters as they attempted to carry him to an ambulance. These videos and testimonies from his relatives confirm that he was among the protesters when he was shot.
On the evening of December 31, protesters in Kuhdasht took to the streets chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic and Ali Khamenei, after which security forces opened direct fire on the crowd.
Official reports indicate that at least 20 protesters were arrested during the crackdown in Kuhdasht.
Killing protesters and then portraying them as Basij members or regime supporters is a long-standing tactic of the Islamic Republic.
The cases of Sane’ Jaleh in 2011, as well as Ali Fazeli and Hamidreza Rouhi, who were killed by the government in 2022, are among notable examples of this practice.
Additionally, Dariush Ansari Bakhtiari-Vand, a 37-year-old protester from Fooladshahr, was killed by direct gunfire from government forces during nighttime protests in the city on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
According to available information, he died before reaching the hospital. The head of the Isfahan Province Criminal Investigation Police confirmed the death of “a 37-year-old citizen” in Fooladshahr on that night, without mentioning his name or the circumstances of his killing. Fooladshahr is among dozens of cities that have witnessed anti-government protests in recent days.
