Sohba Rashtian, 23, Among Thousands Killed as Security Forces Brutalize Nationwide Anti-Government Protests.
Human rights organizations have confirmed the death of Sahba Rashtian, a 23-year-old women's football assistant referee from Isfahan, who was shot and killed by Iranian government security forces during the country's largest protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rashtian was fatally wounded by live ammunition to her side during demonstrations in Isfahan on Friday, January 10, 2026 (19 Dey 1404 in the Persian calendar), and her body was released to family members on Thursday, January 15 for burial.
The death of this young sports official represents one of thousands of casualties documented across Iran during an unprecedented nationwide uprising that began on December 28, 2025, triggered by the catastrophic collapse of the Iranian rial and soaring inflation that has devastated ordinary Iranians' purchasing power. What started as a merchant-led economic protest rapidly transformed into a full-scale political revolution, with demonstrators demanding the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and an end to decades of authoritarian rule.
Promising Career in Women's Football Cut Short
Rashtian was not merely a casual participant in protests—she was an accomplished young professional with an active role in advancing women's sports in Iran. According to available records, she served as an assistant referee in Isfahan provincial women's football competitions and participated in national youth team talent identification programs. Beyond her refereeing duties, Rashtian was also involved in track and field and physical fitness training, indicating a broad engagement with athletic development in a country where women's sports participation remains heavily restricted by government regulations.
Her death was documented by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, a Norway-based Kurdish human rights group that has been systematically recording casualties among civilians during the crackdown. The organization confirmed that Rashtian sustained a fatal gunshot wound to her side after being directly targeted by Iranian government forces while participating in the Isfahan protests. The circumstances of her killing reflect a pattern: security forces have been documented positioning themselves on rooftops, in residential buildings, and at strategic locations throughout cities, firing rifles and shotguns with metal pellets at unarmed protesters with apparent deliberate aim at vulnerable points including the head and torso.
Part of a Broader Pattern: Women and Young People in the Line of Fire
Rashtian is one of at least five women confirmed killed in recent days, according to Hengaw. The victims include Arnika Dabbagh, a 15-year-old child from Gorgan killed on January 10; Nasim Pouraqaei, a married mother of two killed in Tehran on January 9; Mobina Beheshti, a 21-year-old from Gorgan killed during the same period; and Nazli Janparvar, a 27-year-old from North Khorasan Province killed in Tehran on January 9. Additionally, fashion student Rubina Aminian, 23, was shot in the head from behind during protests in Tehran on January 8, forcing her family to search through hundreds of bodies at hospitals and morgues to identify her remains.
Yet women and young people constitute the overwhelming majority of the dead. According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization, as of mid-January, the majority of the 3,428 confirmed protesters killed were under age 30, with nine confirmed minors among the dead. The government's willingness to use lethal force against young people, women, and teenagers suggests a strategy aimed at terrorizing the entire population into submission rather than restoring order.
Sports Figures as Symbolic Victims
Rashtian was not the only sports professional killed in the crackdown. Amir Mohammad Koohkan, 26, a futsal referee, coach, and goalkeeper, was shot dead with live ammunition on January 3 during protests in the town of Neyriz in Fars Province in the southwest. His body was taken by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces, and repeated family efforts to recover it for burial proved unsuccessful. Friends described Koohkan as widely beloved in his community for his kindness and dedication.
Later, Mojtaba Torshiz, a former player for the professional football club Tractor Tabriz, and his wife were both killed during protests on January 9 in the city of Qaemshahr in Mazandaran Province. Multiple other football, futsal, basketball, and bodybuilding athletes have been confirmed killed or detained, though precise figures remain difficult to establish given the communications blackout.