This account treats the date above as the time of the underlying event, not as a publication date. It is confined to what the cited reporting established at that point. Details that were uncertain, attributed, provisional or still developing remain presented on those terms, and no later result is assumed.
What the reporting established
Local sources stated that as the number of injured has risen, medical facilities have come under increasing strain and are in urgent need of blood supplies to continue treating the wounded. Iran’s supreme leader has addressed the ongoing protests, insisting that “rioters must be put in their place.” Iran’s supreme leader insisted Saturday that “rioters must be put in their place”, likely giving security forces a green light to aggressively put down the demonstrations that have shaken the Islamic republic.
Several protesters were killed and wounded in the city of Malekshahi in Ilam province on Saturday in what appears to be the deadliest crackdown on protests yet, videos and eyewitness reports obtained by Iran International show. The protesters were killed or injured as a result of direct fire by security forces.
Due to the severity of their injuries, many of the wounded were taken to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam. Public ClarificationFor the purpose of public clarification, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights wishes to address an earlier report published on the first day of the Malekshahi protests, when demonstrations were met with violent repression.In that report, Hengaw stated that…
These reports are currently under review and verification by Hengaw’s documentation team. Based on videos and corroborated information obtained by Hengaw, over 40 individuals were injured and transferred to medical facilities.
As a result, four individuals, Mehdi Emamipour, Reza Azimzadeh, Farez Aghamohammadi, and Mohammad Moghaddasi, known as “Bozuneh,” were killed at the scene. Hengaw has additionally received reports indicating that two additional individuals may have been killed.
No fewer than four Kurdish individuals were killed in Malekshahi County, Ilam Province, following Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces opened live fire on protesters. as documented by information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, IRGC forces opened fire with military-grade weapons on protesters in Malekshahi County around midday during demonstrations held on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Scope of the record
The record is most useful when read as a contemporaneous snapshot. It identifies the central development, the people or institutions directly involved and the consequences described by the available reporting. Statements made by officials, witnesses or other parties are not converted into independent findings; their source and status remain material to understanding the account.
The evidence also sets limits on the conclusions that can safely be drawn. It does not support speculation about motives, responsibility or subsequent outcomes beyond what was explicitly reported. Figures and operational descriptions can be revised as fuller information emerges, so the numbers and characterisations here belong to the dated record rather than a final historical tally.
