22 January 2026 :

January 22, 2026 - IRAN. Identities of 4 killed in Arak

Mehrdad Moshtagh, Amir Hossein Dowlatabadi, Meysam Saberi Karharoudi, Ehsan Akbari

Hengaw has confirmed the identities of four additional individuals killed during recent protests in the city of Arak after being targeted by Iranian government forces. Their identities were verified one week after their deaths.

The victims have been identified as Mehrdad Moshtagh, Amir Hossein Dowlatabadi, Meysam Saberi Karharoudi, and Ehsan Akbari, all residents of Arak.

According to information received by Hengaw, Mehrdad Moshtagh, 27, and Amir Hossein Dowlatabadi, 19, were shot and killed by government forces during protests in Arak on the evening of January 8, 2026.

On the same night, Meysam Saberi Karharoudi, 41, an auto body repairman and father of one, was killed after being deliberately struck by a government security vehicle on Mokhaberat Street. Informed sources reported that government forces ran him over with a riot-control vehicle, which passed over his body, causing fatal injuries and severe internal bleeding.

Also that night, Ehsan Akbari, 27, was shot and killed near a school he had previously attended. According to informed sources, governemnt forces initially fired pellet rounds at his abdomen before shooting him in the heart and head with live ammunition from the rooftop of the school. His father transported him on foot to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. His body was handed over to his family after four days, on January 12, 2026.

With these four cases, Hengaw has now verified and documented the identities of at least ten protesters killed in Arak during the recent crackdown.

https://hengaw.net/en/news/2026/01/article-179