Amir-Hesam Khodayari

Their life

Amir-Hesam Khodayari-Fard was a 22-year-old Yarsani citizen from Kuhdasht, Iran. He was killed on 31 December 2025 after being shot during protests in his hometown. Following his death, Iranian authorities attempted to portray him as a member of the Basij force; however, his family firmly rejected this claim. During his funeral, relatives and mourners publicly challenged the official narrative and demanded accountability, turning the burial ceremony into an act of resistance

Born and raised in Kuhdasht, Amir-Hesam belonged to the Yarsani (Ahl-e Haqq) religious minority, a community that has long faced discrimination and marginalization in Iran. At just 22 years old, he was part of a generation confronting economic hardship, political repression, and shrinking civic space.
On 31 December 2025, during protests in Kuhdasht, Amir-Hesam was shot by IRGC forces and later died from his injuries. After his killing, the IRGC issued a statement falsely claiming that he was affiliated with the Basij militia. This claim was publicly rejected by his father during the funeral on 2 January 2026, where the family removed an IRGC banner placed in front of their home. Mourners present at the burial expelled IRGC forces from the ceremony, openly affirming that Amir-Hesam was a civilian protester killed by state security forces.

How they died

Gunshot wounds inflicted by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces.

During the protests in Kuhdasht, IRGC units used live ammunition against demonstrators. Amir-Hesam was shot during this operation and succumbed to his injuries. The use of lethal force against unarmed protesters has been widely documented by human-rights organizations as a violation of international standards. Subsequent attempts by the IRGC to mischaracterize his status as a Basij member were rejected by his family and contradicted by eyewitnesses and funeral events.

A plea from the family

Amir-Hesam’s father publicly rejected the IRGC’s claim that his son was a Basij member during the funeral on 2 January 2026. The family removed an IRGC banner placed in front of their home. Mourners expelled IRGC forces from the burial site, openly affirming that Amir-Hesam was a civilian killed by security forces.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Amir-Hesam Khodayari, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources