According to published reports and statements by human rights organizations, at noon on Saturday, January 3, 2026, the seventh day of nationwide protests, residents of Malekshahi County in Ilam Province, in Iranian Kurdistan, took to the streets to protest the inhumane policies of the Islamic Republic.
In the very early moments of the gathering, this peaceful protest was met with direct gunfire by Iranian military forces and was violently suppressed.
During this crackdown, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire with military weapons on protesting citizens.
As a result, at least five civilians—Mehdi Emami-Pour, Reza Azimzadeh, Farez Agha-Mohammadi, Mohammad Moghaddasi, and Latif Karimi—were shot dead. It should be noted that Ali Karimi Bavolaki died the following day, on January 4, 2024, in hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
According to credible reports, at least 40 protesters were wounded in this bloody crackdown and were transferred to hospitals.
Information indicates that the protests in Malekshahi began around 2:00 p.m. following a public call and continued until approximately 5:00 p.m. Protesters initially gathered in the city center and later moved toward areas near the Martyrs Foundation building, the Friday Prayer Leader’s office, the Basij building, and the governor’s office—locations situated close to one another.
Informed sources stated that IRGC forces suppressed the protest by firing directly at demonstrators on the Governorate Boulevard and in front of the Basij building.
Ahmadreza Haeri, a political prisoner, wrote in a letter from Qezel-Hesar Prison in Karaj that “in the city of Malekshahi, the IRGC commander personally initiated the shooting by sitting behind a machine gun.”
Videos circulated on social media show security forces violently attacking protesters in Malekshahi, while another video depicts a person lying on the ground, covered in blood.
