Hessam Khodayarifard

Their life

Hessam Khodayarifard was a 22-year-old Iranian citizen from the western city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province. He was a young man whose life was cut short on New Year’s Eve 2025 during a wave of violent repression against protests in western Iran. His killing became one of the early confirmed deaths linked to the security forces’ response to demonstrations, sparking anger and grief among local residents and mourners.

Hessam Khodayarifard was born and raised in Kuhdasht, a city in Lorestan province, a region long affected by economic hardship and political marginalization. At the age of 22, he was among the youngest victims of the late-2025 protest crackdown. On the evening of December 31, 2025, as protests unfolded in his city, Hessam was fatally shot.

Following his death, authorities initially refused to release his body to his family and reportedly attempted to pressure them into falsely portraying him as a member of the Basij militia. This claim was later publicly rejected by his father during the funeral ceremony. Hessam’s burial drew large crowds, where mourners chanted anti-government slogans. Security forces intervened, turning the funeral into another scene of confrontation and repression.

How they died

Hessam Khodayarifard was killed during a state crackdown on anti-government protests that took place in western Iran at the turn of the year 2025–2026.

Hessam Khodayarifard was shot dead by Iranian security forces during a nighttime crackdown on protests in Kuhdasht. His killing occurred as authorities used live ammunition to disperse crowds and suppress dissent. Family sources confirmed that he was killed on the spot. The subsequent refusal to release his body and the pressure placed on his family further compounded the violence surrounding his death.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources