Ariana Arjamandi
Gunshot wound to the heart. Arjamandi was shot at close range by state security forces during protesting.
At approximately 6:30 pm on 8 January 2026, while protests were ongoing in Shohada Square, Borujerd, Arjamandi and his friends were part of a group that ignited opposition sentiments. As security forces pursued protesters, Arjamandi was chased into a side street and shot in the heart at close range by an armed agent of the Iranian government. His friends reached his body but he was already dead. State forces removed his body from the scene.
Biography
Ariana Arjamandi was a 23-year-old psychology student from Borujerd who had wide aspirations for academic achievement and personal freedom. Described by friends as a thoughtful and intellectual young man, he initially enrolled in a German Translation program but later shifted to psychology to remain in his hometown and pursue his studies. Arjamandi was known for his passion for reading, learning, and the ideals of freedom and change. On 8 January 2026, he joined a protest in Borujerd and was fatally shot by state security forces, cutting short his hopes of graduating and possibly studying abroad.
Born around 2002–2003, Ariana Arjamandi grew up in Borujerd, a city in Lorestan Province, western Iran. A dedicated student, Arjamandi had first been accepted into a German Translation program alongside a close friend but chose to change his major to psychology so he could stay in his community and complete his studies. He was in his third year and expected to graduate in about two years, with plans to eventually leave Iran for further education. Passionate about literature and learning, he balanced his academic life with part-time work and social connections.
In early January 2026, widespread protests against economic hardship and political repression drew thousands onto the streets, including Arjamandi and his friends. On 8 January, while at Shohada Square in Borujerd, the situation escalated as protesters burned a government banner and faced intensified surveillance and pursuit by security agents. As he fled down Takhti Street, he was chased and shot at close range in the heart by an armed agent. He died immediately at the scene.
After his death, relatives faced obstacles in retrieving his body from authorities, who tried to coerce them into falsely labeling him a government militia member. The family refused, insisting on honoring his identity and beliefs. His funeral took place on 12 January 2026 in Borujerd, attended by only a few relatives under heavy security
Additional Information
Sources & References
Psychology Student Who Believed in Freedom Shot Dead in Borujerd1 iranwire.com Open source
Since late December 2025, Iranian security forces have committed massacres against civilians in the 2025–26 Iranian protests. As of 23 January 2026, total death toll estimates range from 5,002 to 18,000 making them some of the largest massacres in modern Iranian history, including 207 members of the security forces2 en.wikipedia.org Open source
23-year-old protester killed by security forces in western Iran’s Borujerd3 iranintl.com Open source