Ali Sadeghi

Their life

Ali Sadeghi was a 31-year-old resident of Tehran who lost his life during the nationwide protests that swept Iran in early January 2026. On January 8, he was shot and killed when Iranian government forces fired live ammunition at protesters in District 12 of the capital. Following his death, his family faced further trauma as authorities withheld his body, demanding an unaffordable sum of money for its release.

Ali Sadeghi lived in Tehran, Iran, and was 31 years old at the time of his death. Like thousands of other civilians, he was caught in the state’s sweeping and lethal response to protests that erupted across Iran in January 2026. On Thursday, January 8, 2026, Ali was present at demonstrations in District 12 of Tehran when Iranian security forces opened fire on protesters. He was fatally shot.
In the aftermath, security institutions reportedly refused to return his body to his family, instead demanding 700 million tomans in exchange for its release. Due to financial hardship, his family was unable to meet this demand, leaving them without the ability to retrieve or bury their son, compounding their grief and distress.

How they died

Ali Sadeghi was killed during the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests after security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Tehran’s District 12.

Ali Sadeghi was killed when Iranian government security forces used live ammunition against protesters in District 12 of Tehran. He was shot during the dispersal of demonstrations on January 8, 2026. The circumstances align with a broader pattern documented by human-rights organizations in which security forces fired directly at civilians participating in or present near protests.

A plea from the family

Ali Sadeghi’s family has sought the return of his body so they may conduct burial rites.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources