Rubina Aminian, a 23-year-old fashion design student in Tehran, was shot in the head at close range during protests on Jan. 8, Iran Human Rights reports. Her family traveled from Kermanshah to identify her body, faced obstruction by authorities, and were ultimately forced to bury her by the roadside. Rights groups say many young protesters were shot at close range, thousands have been detained, and mourning ceremonies have been blocked.
23-Year-Old Tehran Student Rubina Aminian Fatally Shot; Family Forced To Bury Her By Roadside
Iran protests death toll rises as Rubina Aminian joins hundreds allegedly killed by government forces.
Rubina Aminian, a 23-year-old textile and fashion design student at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was shot in the head at close range on Jan. 8 while participating in anti-government protests, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based monitoring group.
Following her death, Aminian's family traveled from their home in Kermanshah to Tehran to identify her body. Iran Human Rights says the family was initially barred from retrieving her remains and was shown what they described as the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the nationwide crackdown.
"Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head," the group said.
After persistent efforts, relatives were reportedly allowed to take Aminian's body back to Kermanshah. When they arrived, intelligence forces allegedly surrounded the family home and prevented a proper burial. Iran Human Rights reports the family was ultimately forced to bury her along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, tear gas is fired during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
The family has also been denied permission to hold mourning ceremonies; several mosques in Marivan were reportedly prevented from hosting memorial services. Witnesses quoted by rights groups say many victims of the unrest were young people shot at close range in the head and neck.
Human rights monitors and news organizations report mass arrests and significant casualties as security forces continue to suppress nationwide demonstrations driven by anger over political repression and worsening economic conditions, including rising inflation. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimated that more than 16,700 people had been detained; other groups and reporters have cited much higher death toll estimates, with some figures exceeding 3,000.
In a statement, Iran Human Rights described Aminian as "a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic." Her death and the reported treatment of her family highlight ongoing concerns about rights violations, restrictions on mourning, and efforts to limit public knowledge of the scale of the crackdown.
What We Know
Source: Iran Human Rights (Norway-based) and multiple reporting agencies. Date of incident: Jan. 8. Location: Tehran; family from Kermanshah; burial between Kermanshah and Kamyaran.
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