Sam Sohbatzadeh
Sam Sohbatzadeh was killed during the January 2026 protests in Iran, which were met with violent crackdowns by state security forces.
He was directly shot in the head by what is reported to be government security forces while participating in or present near protest activity in southern Tehran.
Biography
Sam Sohbatzadeh, a 14-year-old boy from Iran, worked from a young age to help support his household. He left school in the fall of 2025 to work full time. Tragically, his life was cut short when he was killed by a direct gunshot to the head during protests in southern Tehran on January 8, 2026. His family secretly transported his body to their hometown in Ardabil province, where he was buried in a village cemetery two days later.
Sam Sohbatzadeh had begun working at the age of 10 to contribute to his family's livelihood, reflecting the economic pressures faced by many children in Iran. Despite his youth, he carried responsibilities that most teenagers do not face. In the fall of 2025, he left school to work full-time, supporting his household more fully. During the protests that erupted in early January 2026, Sam was killed by a gunshot wound to the head in southern Tehran. Following his death, his family feared repercussions and secretly transported his body overnight to their hometown in Ardabil province, where he was buried quietly in a village cemetery two days later. His death highlights both the vulnerability of young people in conflict zones and the extreme measures families take to protect their loved ones even after death.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Also among those named is 14-year-old Sam Sohbatzadeh, who had worked since age 10 to help support his household.1 iranintl.com Open source
KHRN documents 240 Kurdish deaths in 2026 protests in Iran2 kurdistanhumanrights.org Open source