Vahid Arzanlou

Their life

Vahid Arzanlou was an Iranian entrepreneur from Tehran who was killed on January 9, 2026, while attempting to aid his brother after he had been shot during protests against state repression. Well-known alongside his brother Hamid in the furniture business, Vahid’s fatal act of solidarity with his sibling made his death a poignant symbol of the personal cost of protest in Iran’s harsh response to dissent. He leaves behind family and friends who remember him for both his work in industry and his loyalty to loved ones in their final moments.

Vahid Arzanlou lived in eastern Tehran as part of a family deeply rooted in the city’s local business community. Along with his brother Hamid, he co-managed a successful furniture enterprise that provided jobs and economic stability to many in their neighborhood. Though not a participant in politics or activism on the scale of many other protesters, Vahid became embroiled in the uprising of early January 2026 when his brother was shot by security forces in Tehranpars during nationwide anti-government protests. When Hamid fell, Vahid rushed to assist him and was shot in the neck by Iranian security forces, succumbing to his wound later that day. His death underscores both the chaotic danger faced by civilians during the protests and the bonds of family loyalty.

How they died

Vahid Arzanlou was killed while trying to help his brother Hamid after Hamid was shot by Iranian security forces during anti-government protests.

During the January 8–9, 2026 protest wave, Iranian security forces — including militias aligned with the regime — used live ammunition against civilians in multiple urban areas. In Tehranpars on January 9, Hamid Arzanlou was shot in the head while participating in protests. Vahid, seeing his brother fall, ran to help him and was struck in the neck by gunfire from the same security forces. The wound proved fatal, illustrating how indiscriminate and deadly the crackdown was, even for those not actively protesting at the moment of their deaths.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources