**Hengaw – Thursday, January 8, 2026 **
At least five Kurdish residents have been killed by direct gunfire from Iranian government forces during popular protests in Chenaran, located in Razavi Khorasan Province.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, has identified the victims as Mehdi Ghorbandoust, Mehdi Validoost, Morteza Jahanbakhsh, Ruhollah Setareh Moshtari, and Mohammadreza Gorouhi.
Hengaw sources report that Mehdi Validoost and Morteza Jahanbakhsh, both from Ghazal-Kan village in Chenaran; Ruhollah Setareh Moshtari, a 26-year-old from Ghiassabad village; and Mohammadreza Gorouhi were shot dead with Kalashnikov rifles on Khomeini Boulevard on the evening of Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Mehdi Ghorbandoust, another protester who had been critically wounded by gunfire during the sa…
**Hengaw – Thursday, January 8, 2026 **
At least five Kurdish residents have been killed by direct gunfire from Iranian government forces during popular protests in Chenaran, located in Razavi Khorasan Province.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, has identified the victims as Mehdi Ghorbandoust, Mehdi Validoost, Morteza Jahanbakhsh, Ruhollah Setareh Moshtari, and Mohammadreza Gorouhi.
Hengaw sources report that Mehdi Validoost and Morteza Jahanbakhsh, both from Ghazal-Kan village in Chenaran; Ruhollah Setareh Moshtari, a 26-year-old from Ghiassabad village; and Mohammadreza Gorouhi were shot dead with Kalashnikov rifles on Khomeini Boulevard on the evening of Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Mehdi Ghorbandoust, another protester who had been critically wounded by gunfire during the same night’s protests and transferred to intensive care while in a coma, died from his injuries on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Hengaw has also received reports of the killing of one additional individual, whose identity is still being verified.
Based on videos and images obtained by Hengaw, all of the victims were transported to hospital after being shot, but succumbed to their injuries despite medical efforts.
According to informed sources, government forces attempted to secretly bury the body of Ruhollah Setareh Moshtari during the night; however, the attempt was prevented by local residents. Sources added that he had become a father just one day before his killing.
None of the bodies have been handed over to their families. Witnesses stated that during the protests in Chenaran, Iranian government forces opened fire on demonstrators between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Source: