Rubina Aminian

Their life

Rubina Aminian was a 23-year-old Kurdish university student from Marivan, western Iran, studying textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College in Tehran. Described by her family as courageous, principled, and deeply committed to freedom and women’s rights, she joined nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in late December 2025. Rubina was killed during a protest in Tehran in early January 2026, becoming one of hundreds of young protesters whose deaths have come to symbolize the severity of the state crackdown.

Born and raised in Iran’s Kurdish region, Rubina Aminian pursued higher education in Tehran with the aim of building a career in textile and fashion design. Family members recall her as independent-minded and outspoken, someone who resisted control and believed strongly in justice and equality. When protests spread across Iran over economic grievances and political repression, Rubina left her university campus to participate. Her killing drew international attention after human rights organizations documented her case, highlighting the risks faced by students and women protesters. Her family was reportedly subjected to intimidation after her death, including difficulties in retrieving her body and restrictions on mourning, underscoring the broader climate of fear surrounding the protests.

How they died

Gunshot wound sustained during an anti-government protest.

According to multiple human rights organizations, Rubina Aminian was shot by government forces while participating in a protest in Tehran. Two groups reported that she was shot in the head, while another stated she was shot in the back; witnesses cited by rights groups said the shot was fired from close range and from behind. The BBC noted it was unable to independently verify the precise circumstances, but all reporting attributes her death to live fire used by security forces against protesters.

A plea from the family

Rubina’s family publicly mourned her as a young woman “thirsty for freedom” and women’s rights. Her uncle told international media that she “fought for what she knew was right.” Her mother reportedly said that while searching for Rubina’s body, she witnessed “hundreds of bodies” of young protesters. Family members alleged authorities initially refused to release her body and later forced a burial without public mourning, a claim cited by rights groups as emblematic of the pressure placed on victims’ families.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Rubina Aminian, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources