Jan 7-8
Dariush Ansari Bakhtiarvandi
Dariush was the youngest child of the family and dearly loved by everyone—a brave, kind, and energetic young man. He lost his father at an early age and lived with his elderly mother and his brother, who was living with paralysis. Dariush cared for them and carried the responsibility of supporting his family. He worked tirelessly to build a life for himself and never gave up hope. He worked as a laborer, became a tattoo artist, opened a café, and tried several other jobs—always searching for a way to create a better future. But the future he worked so hard for never had the chance to come.
- Age
- 37
- City
- Fooladshahr
- Date
- 2026-01-08
- All statuses
- Family report
Life story
Dariush was the youngest child of the family and dearly loved by everyone—a brave, kind, and energetic young man. He lost his father at an early age and lived with his elderly mother and his brother, who was living with paralysis. Dariush cared for them and carried the responsibility of supporting his family. He worked tirelessly to build a life for himself and never gave up hope. He worked as a laborer, became a tattoo artist, opened a café, and tried several other jobs—always searching for a way to create a better future. But the future he worked so hard for never had the chance to come.
Incident summary
According to his family’s account, on 10 Dey 1404, Dariush went to the protests. His mother was worried and the family repeatedly called him, but there was no answer. Eventually, a young woman answered his phone and told them that Dariush had been shot. She and several young men had placed him in her car and arranged to meet his family somewhere away from the unrest. When his family reached him, Dariush was no longer breathing. They still rushed him to the hospital, hoping he could be revived, but their efforts were in vain. His family says a large number of security forces gathered outside the hospital. Clashes broke out with Dariush’s brothers and shots were fired. Dariush’s body was then taken from the hospital. According to the family, they were told they would have to claim that he had been a Basij member in order to receive his body. They refused. His body was eventually returned after the family agreed not to hold a public ceremony and to conduct the burial privately. Dariush had participated in protests before, and his body bore numerous pellet wounds from previous demonstrations. The woman who was with him that final night later recalled that while he was in her car, Dariush asked her not to take him to a hospital. Witnesses from that night said several people had become trapped and Dariush went toward them to help, but security forces prevented him from reaching them and he was shot. In the months since his death, an elderly man has repeatedly visited Dariush’s grave. He says that during the unrest, he had become trapped and fallen to the ground. Dariush picked him up in his arms, carried him to the safety of a nearby building, and then returned to the crowd. The elderly man recalls telling him, “I’m old. Save yourself—don’t worry about me.” But Dariush would not leave him behind. He saved the old man and returned to help others.