Who Was Shiva Rahimi? 35-Year-Old, Mother Of Two, Brutally Shot Six Times While Delivering First Aid To Other Wounded Iranian Anti-Regime Protesters

Iran Protests: Shiva Rahimi was just 35 when she died, another name added to the long list of Iranians caught in the crossfire of state violence. 

Activists and human rights groups point to her death as yet another brutal example of how the Iranian government deals with anyone who dares to push back.

Who was Shiva Rahimi? 

As per reports, on January 8, Rahimi tried to help injured protesters, running into the chaos to give first aid. Security forces shot her multiple times. She wasn’t carrying a weapon. She just wanted to help.

People who saw what happened say Rahimi rushed to treat wounded demonstrators right there in the street. She did what little she could basic medical care, nothing fancy.

But then, according to witness accounts on social media, security forces shot her six times at close range. Six. It’s hard to ignore the message that sends about how far the authorities will go.

The Iranian government hasn’t said a word about her death. No official statement. Nothing. But her name quickly spread among protesters.

Activists say what happened to Rahimi fits a larger pattern. Medical volunteers, bystanders, even people just standing there peacefully, all become targets during these protests.

Shiva Rahimi’s story keeps circulating, a painful reminder of the real cost behind Iran’s crackdown on dissent.

19-Year-Old ‘Baby Rider’ also killed 

Then there’s Diana Bahador. She was only 19, famous on Instagram as ‘Baby Rider.’ You might’ve seen her videos speeding down highways on a superbike, fearless and grinning, with nearly 150,000 followers watching from their screens. 

Earlier this month, she was shot dead by security forces in Gorgan, around midnight on January 9. Reports say she’d joined the protests on the nights before her death.

Now, people remember her not just for her stunts or her social media fame, but as another young life cut short during Iran’s ongoing unrest.

Iran protests turn deadly

The country has experienced a series of anti-regime demonstrations in Iran due to the frustrations caused by political oppression, economic downturn, fraud, and limitation of individual rights.

The protests escalated due to high-profile murders in custody and claims of excessive use of force by security agencies. Demonstrators have demanded some changes in the system, and the government has reacted by using mass arrests, cutting off the internet and using deadly force.

The number of people killed has been estimated to be significantly different, which has been hindered by the continuous internet shutdown.

The Iranian government has recognised over 3,000 dead, and the HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), a US-based organisation, whose numbers have been checked in past crackdowns, have confirmed over 6,000 dead but has over 17,000 more suspected dead under investigation, which gives a possible total of approximately 22,000.

According to other estimates by doctors outside Iran, the number is as high as 33,000.

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