Tragic Loss: Hundreds Killed, Including Referee and Student, Amidst Iran Protests

Mon Jan 12 2026 19:16:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a surge of anti-government unrest, hundreds of protesters, including a referee and a student, have lost their lives in Iran as calls for change intensify across the nation.

Anti-government protests in Iran have resulted in the deaths of nearly 500 individuals, with a notable focus on the tragic stories of a compassionate referee and a brave student. The protests, igniting nationwide unrest over economic issues and political repression, have led to government crackdowns, widespread anger, and grief as families mourn loved ones. Amidst these turbulent times, both local observers and international organizations raise concerns about the true scale of casualties.

A referee and a student are among hundreds of people reportedly killed during massive anti-government protests in Iran.

Coach Amir Mohammad Koohkan, 26, was hit by live ammunition on 3 January during protests in the town of Neyriz, his friend told BBC Persian.

Everyone knew him for his kindness, they said, adding his family is grieving and angry because he was killed by the regime.

Five days later, student Rubina Aminian, 23, was shot from behind during a protest in Tehran, according to human rights groups. She fought for things she knew were right, her uncle told CNN.

Nearly 500 protesters and 48 security personnel have been killed in two weeks of protests, a US-based rights group says.

Sources in Iran have told the BBC the death toll is likely higher than reported.

Demonstrations began on 28 December over the economy in the capital Tehran and have spread to 186 cities and all 31 provinces, according to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).

The protests have grown into the largest in years, with calls for an end to the Islamic Republic and rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The protests led to a government crackdown, with at least 10,600 people reportedly arrested and 496 protesters killed, according to HRANA.

Medical staff in Iran have described hospitals overwhelmed with dead and injured patients. BBC Persian verified that 70 bodies were brought to Poursina Hospital in Rasht city on 9 January, and the BBC counted 180 body bags in footage from one morgue near Tehran thought to have been filmed on the same night.

The BBC and most other international news organisations are unable to report from inside Iran, and the Iranian government has imposed an internet shutdown since Thursday, making obtaining and verifying information difficult.

Among the protest victims was Koohkan, who was killed in Neyriz in south-west Fars Province, his friend told BBC Persian. The friend did not witness the incident firsthand, but heard from eyewitnesses at the scene.

It was far too soon for him, really far too soon. He was so young, the friend said.

The friend said they had known Koohkan, an indoor futsal coach and referee, for 10 years: From childhood he was my coach, then he became like my brother.

They described Koohkan, who had one brother, as someone who didn't like to see people in this state... in this misery.

Family and friends are mourning alongside the community, expressing sorrow and anger over the needless loss of life brought on by the regime's violence.