A 23-year-old university student was shot dead at close range after joining mass anti-government protests in Iran, according to a human rights organization, as authorities continue a violent crackdown on demonstrations sweeping the country.
The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights said Rubina Aminian was killed on January 8 after leaving Shariati College in Tehran and joining protest gatherings in the capital. Aminian was studying textile and fashion design.
Sources close to the family told the organization that Aminian was shot from behind at close range, with the bullet striking her head. Her family later traveled to Tehran to search for her, identifying her body among what the group described as “the bodies of hundreds of young people.”
When Aminian’s family returned to their hometown of Kermanshah to bury her, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home, preventing a proper funeral. According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury her by the side of a road.
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 killing comes amid an escalating crackdown by Iran’s clerical leadership on protests that began roughly two weeks ago following the collapse of the country’s economy. The demonstrations have since spread nationwide, drawing tens of thousands into the streets.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 500 people have been killed since the protests began, though Iranian authorities have not acknowledged such figures.
Iranian officials have warned that protesters could face the death penalty if they are accused of damaging property. The military has blamed foreign “enemies” for fomenting unrest and has urged civilians to remain vigilant against what it describes as hostile plots.
President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that the United States would “hit them hard” if protesters continue to be killed and is reportedly weighing potential actions in the coming days. As international pressure increases, Iranian leaders have responded with threats of their own.
On Sunday, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran was prepared to launch preemptive strikes if attacked. “In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centres, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” he said.
As the death toll rises, Aminian’s killing has become a stark symbol of the risks faced by young Iranians demanding political and economic change — and of the brutal force the state is willing to deploy to silence them.
