19 February 2026 :
February 18, 2026 - IRAN. Victim Accounts: Mohammad Rahmati’s Father Forced to Blame “Terrorists” for His Son’s Killing
A source close to the family of Mohammad Rahmati, a 28-year-old man who was killed by direct gunfire from security forces during the nationwide protests, has provided IHRNGO with new details about the circumstances of his killing.
Tania Rahmati, a human rights student and relative of Mohammad Rahmati, informed IHRNGO that Mohammad –who was born in 1997 and lived in Tehran's Heravi neighborhood– was shot on the evening of January 8, about half an hour after leaving his home.According to the source, he left home shortly after the calls to protest were circulated and was killed by direct gunfire from security forces near his residence.
“There are differing accounts regarding the number of bullets, but based on information obtained from close relatives, at least three or four bullets struck Mohammad in the abdomen, at least one of which was a live round,” the source said, adding that despite his severe injuries, Mohammad remained conscious and asked his friends to take him home. His father then transferred him to Labafinejad Hospital in Tehran.
Regarding the exact time of death, the source told IHRNGO that conflicting accounts exist: “Some said Mohammad died on the way to the hospital, while others stated that he lost his life after arriving, before being taken to the operating room. His body was initially delivered to Labafinejad Hospital, where the family was informed that a death certificate had been issued and that they could collect his body the following day.”
The source added: “The following day, when Mohammad’s father went to the hospital to receive his son’s body, he was told that it had been transferred to Kahrizak without the family’s knowledge. The family searched continuously for three days in Kahrizak. During one visit, they observed that thousands of unidentified bodies were being kept in the Kahrizak facilities.”
According to the source, after three days of searching, Mohammad’s body was identified by an assigned code: “However, in order to receive the body, the family was forced to sign a written undertaking stating that “terrorists” had killed their son and agreeing to refrain from speaking to the media. Under pressure and solely to recover their son’s body, the family signed the document.”
The source added that even on the day of burial, security forces imposed further written commitments on the family, including refraining from filming, gathering, or giving media interviews. Permission for the burial was granted only after the family signed these undertakings. Mohammad was laid to rest in a location chosen by his family.
Tina Rahmati continued: “Unlike in some similar cases, the family was not asked to pay any money. The only condition for releasing the body was signing the undertaking and accepting the narrative imposed by security institutions.”
The source further stated that Mohammad Rahmati was unmarried and lived with his elderly father. His mother had passed away years earlier, and he had no siblings: “According to relatives, the absence of immediate family members made pursuit of justice in his case more difficult.”
The source also noted that Mohammad had long been sensitive to social issues and women’s rights and had, on occasion, attempted to intervene when women were harassed by the morality-police (Hijab controllers). Even prior to the recent protests, he held critical views and, in messages left behind, had openly expressed hope for change and opposition to injustice.
https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8622/
