Sahba Rashtian
Sahba Rashtian was killed during the Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on nationwide protests on 9 January 2026. She collapsed shortly after arriving at a protest in Isfahan and later died from her injuries, amid reports of widespread use of lethal force by security services against demonstrators.
Sahba Rashtian collapsed during protests in Isfahan on 9 January 2026 and succumbed to her injuries while undergoing surgery at a hospital. Witness accounts cited by TIME place her collapse amid widespread lethal force used by Iranian security services during the protests. While the precise mechanism of injury is not publicly detailed, the context indicates death resulting from state violence during crowd suppression operations.
Biography
Sahba Rashtian was a 23-year-old women’s football assistant referee and aspiring animation artist from Isfahan, Iran. On 9 January 2026, she joined friends at a protest in her city when she suddenly collapsed before chants even began. She was taken to hospital and died on the operating table. Her killing became emblematic of the mass violence unleashed during the two-day protest crackdown, in which senior Iranian health officials privately told TIME that tens of thousands may have been killed. Sahba’s funeral drew mourners in Isfahan, where her family publicly framed her death as a sacrifice for freedom.
Sahba Rashtian lived in Isfahan, a historic city in central Iran, where she worked as a women’s football assistant referee and pursued ambitions as an animation artist. Friends described her as spirited and humorous, often joking about her name—“Sahba,” meaning wine—being forbidden in the Islamic Republic.
On Friday, 9 January 2026, amid escalating protests and an expanding internet blackout, Sahba went out with friends. According to a close friend who spoke to TIME, she collapsed on the street before any chanting began; her sister noticed blood on her hand. Sahba was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died on the operating table.
Her death occurred during what senior officials in Iran’s Ministry of Health privately described as an unprecedented killing spree over January 8–9, when security forces reportedly used rooftop snipers, heavy machine guns mounted on trucks, and live ammunition nationwide. At Sahba’s burial, religious rites were reportedly barred. Her father wore white and addressed mourners with words that framed her death as martyrdom for freedom—an act of defiance against enforced silence.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
At Sahba Rashtian’s burial, her father reportedly addressed mourners, saying:
“Congratulations. My daughter became a martyr on the path to freedom.”
According to a friend, religious rites were barred at the funeral, underscoring the pressure and restrictions placed on grieving families.
Sahba’s mother conveyed her heartbreak, saying:
“I raised this angel myself for 23 years. Now I must stare at her…”, expressing deep personal loss and grief over her daughter’s death on the streets.
Other social posts show the video being shared with commentary that Sahba was “killed simply for standing with the people, for protesting, for wanting freedom”, reflecting a plea for recognition of her sacrifice and a demand for freedom.
Additional Information
Sahba Rashtian was killed during the Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on nationwide protests on 9 January 2026. She collapsed shortly after arriving at a protest in Isfahan and later died from her injuries, amid reports of widespread use of lethal force by security services against demonstrators.
Sources & References
Iran Protest Death Toll Could Top 30,000, According to Local Health Officials1 time.com Open source
People gathered in the central Iranian city of Isfahan for the funeral of Sahba Rashtian, a 23-year-old women’s football assistant referee who was killed by security forces during protests in the city on January 9, according to videos circulating on social media. See more Comments2 facebook.com Open source
People gathered in the central Iranian city of Isfahan for the funeral of Sahba Rashtian, a 23-year-old women’s football assistant referee who was killed by security forces during protests in the city on January 9, according to videos circulating on social media.3 instagram.com Open source