Zahra Behloulipour

Their life

Zahra Behloulipour was a 19-year-old University of Tehran student studying Italian language. She was killed on 8 January 2026 during protests in Tehran, after being shot on Fatemi Street in the city centre. Her death was reported as part of a wider pattern of lethal force used against protesters during the unrest.

Zahra Behloulipour, 19, was an Italian language student at the University of Tehran and entered the university in 2024. During the widespread demonstrations across Tehran on 8 January 2026, she was reportedly shot on Fatemi Street in central Tehran amid a heavy security response. Hengaw cited a University of Tehran student witness describing where she was killed, and reported that live ammunition was used against protesters that day

How they died

Zahra Behloulipour was killed while participating in public anti-government protests in Tehran, during a crackdown in which security forces reportedly used live ammunition against demonstrators

Zahra Behloulipour died as a result of traumatic gunshot injuries sustained during a period of violent public unrest. When a person is struck by live ammunition, especially in the torso or upper body, the bullet can damage vital organs, major blood vessels, and internal tissues. Such injuries often lead to rapid and severe internal bleeding, loss of blood pressure, and impairment of essential bodily functions.

In Zahra’s case, the force and trajectory of the bullet would have caused significant internal trauma that the body could not compensate for, leading to the failure of critical systems such as circulation and respiration. Without immediate and advanced medical intervention, injuries of this nature are frequently fatal within minutes to hours. The environment in which the injury occurred—a chaotic public street during unrest—likely made rapid access to definitive surgical care difficult, contributing further to the fatal outcome.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources