List of Iranian artists killed during state crackdowns
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The following is a list of Iranian artists, musicians, actors, filmmakers, photographers, and cultural workers reported by human rights organizations and news outlets to have been killed during the 2026 Iranian protest crackdown.
Background
Nationwide protests erupted across Iran on 8 January 2026 following a series of political and economic grievances, rapidly spreading to dozens of cities across the country.[1]Iranian authorities responded with a large-scale security crackdown involving the deployment of police forces, Basij militia units, and other state security institutions.[2] During this period, the Iranian government has perpetrated widespread massacres of civilians to suppress public dissent nationwide.[3][4]
Human rights organizations reported widespread use of lethal force against demonstrators, mass arrests, enforced disappearances, internet shutdowns, and restrictions on journalists and independent monitors.[5][6][7] As of 25 January 2026, the total death toll estimates ranged from 6,488 people to upwards of ~36,500 people.[8][9][10][11] Amnesty International described the events as "the deadliest period of repression by the Iranian authorities in decades".[2]
During the crackdown, a number of Iranian artists and cultural workers were reported killed in different parts of the country, including musicians, actors, filmmakers, photographers, theatre practitioners, and writers.[12] Several international organizations, including Artists at Risk Connection and Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, documented the deaths of artists as part of broader efforts to record civilian casualties during the protests.[13][14]
The scale of the killings remains disputed. Iranian state media reported 3,117 deaths during the protests,[1] while the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported thousands of confirmed civilian deaths and additional cases under investigation.[15] Reporting and documentation efforts were complicated by nationwide internet restrictions and limitations imposed on journalists and independent observers.[16]
Partial list
The following is a partial list of Iranian artists and cultural workers reported killed during the 2026 Iranian protest crackdown.
| Name | Profession | Age | Date of death | Location | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soroush Soleimani | Hip Hop Artist | 28 | 4 January 2026 | Hafshejan | [17] |
| Mahan Qadami | Rapper | 23 | 4 January 2026 | Eslamshahr | [18] |
| Ahmad Abbasi | Theatre director and actor | 8 January 2026 | Tehran | [19][20][21] | |
| Mohadiseh Shahbazi | Multidisciplinary Artist | 20 | 8 January 2026 | Tehran | [22] |
| Amirhossein Malekshahi | Singer and Musician | 28 | 8 January 2026 | Tehran | [23][24] |
| Rubina Aminian | Textile Designer | 23 | 8 January 2026 | Tehran | [25][26][27] |
| Yaghoub Dalir | Singer and Musician | 47 | 8 January 2026 | Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh | [24][28] |
| Mehdi Salahshour | Sculptor | 50 | 8 January 2026 | Mashhad | [29][30][31][32] |
| Hossein Tehranchi | Musician | 31 | 8 January 2026 | Narmak, Tehran | [33][34] |
| Yaser Modir Rousta | Musician | 8 January 2026 | Karaj | [35] | |
| Foad Safaei | Singer | 24 | 8 January 2026 | Karaj | [36] |
| Melika Dastyab | Kurdish Musician | 21 | 8 January 2026 | Kermanshah | [37][38][39] |
| Pouya Faragerdi | Musician | 37 | 8 January 2026 | Majidiieh, Tehran | [40][41][42][43] |
| Aria Honarmand | Rapper | 27 | 8 January 2026 | Naziabad, Tehran | [44][45] |
| Ghazal Aghaei Lindi | Photographer | 28 | 9 January 2026 | Tehran | [46][47][48] |
| Reyhaneh Yousefi | Actress | 28 | 9 January 2026 | Tehran | [49][50] |
| Abolfazl Yaghmouri | Rapper | 17 | 9 January 2026 | Karaj | [51][52] |
| Babak Jamali | Singer | 9 January 2026 | Arak | [53] | |
| Javad Ganji | Filmmaker | 39 | 9 January 2026 | Sadeghiyeh, Tehran | [54][55][56][57][58] |
| Sahba Rashtian | Visual artist | 23 | 15 January 2026 | Isfahan | [59][60] |
| Shokoufeh Abdi | Photographer | 18 January 2026 | Arak | [61][62] | |
| Sanam Pour Babayi | Violinist | 26 | 18 January 2026 | Lahijan | |
| Amir Ali Zarei | Musician | 35 | 18 January 2026 | Tehran | [63][64] |
| Shabnam Ferdowsi | Puppet maker and graphic artist | 37 | 18 January 2026 | Tehran | [65][66] |
| Zohreh Shamaizadeh | Script Supervisor and Actress | (unclear) January 2026 | (unknown) | ||
Repression of artistic expression
Human rights organizations and advocacy groups have documented increasing restrictions on artistic expression in Iran in the years preceding the 2026 protest crackdown. Following the outbreak of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in 2022, several reports described intensified censorship, surveillance, arrests, work bans, and prosecutions targeting artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural workers.[67]
According to a 2024 report published by the Artistic Freedom Initiative and Voices Unbound, Iranian authorities increased efforts to control artistic production and public expression through legal prosecution, online monitoring, and restrictions imposed on cultural figures accused of supporting protest movements.[68]
The report documented cases involving visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and performers prosecuted under laws relating to national security, propaganda, and public morality.[69]