Iranian advocacy and human rights groups say several Iranian artists have been killed in the latest wave of anti‑government protests that began late December 2025 and have since spread across the country. The incidents come amid a wider and exceptionally violent crackdown by security forces, who have used live ammunition, metal pellets, and mass arrests in an effort to suppress demonstrations triggered by Iran’s deepening economic crisis and broader political grievances.
According to a statement issued on 13 January 2026 by Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), at least four artists have been killed by Iranian police and allied militias since protests erupted, including sculptor and educator Mehdi Salahshour and filmmaker Javad Ganji. ARC, a New York–based organization that supports threatened artists worldwide, said these deaths occurred in the context of what it called “widespread extrajudicial killings” carried out by state forces over the past two weeks. The group noted that severe government‑imposed internet and mobile blackouts have made it difficult to verify the full scale of the repression.
Reports compiled by art and culture outlets identify Salahshour as a well‑known sculptor who taught at the University of Tehran and was an honorary member of Iran’s Visual Arts Development Institute. He was reportedly shot dead by security forces during protests in the northeastern city of Mashhad on 8 January. Ganji, a director associated with Iran’s independent cinema scene, was similarly reported killed by gunfire while participating in demonstrations in Tehran the following day. Actor and director Ahmad Abbassi has also been named among the dead by the Independent Iranian Filmmakers Association (IIFMA), which says he was shot during protests in the capital.
The deaths of these artists are being reported against the backdrop of sharply diverging casualty figures. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented at least 28 protesters and bystanders killed between 31 December 2025 and 3 January 2026, alongside mass arbitrary arrests across multiple provinces. Iran‑focused monitoring groups, including the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), have cited significantly higher national death tolls, in the hundreds or more, as information slowly emerges from under the communications blackout. ARC’s statement, drawing on what it describes as credible human rights sources and international reporting, says more than 2,000 civilians may have been killed and thousands arrested, while cautioning that verification remains difficult.
In response to the reported deaths, Iranian artistic and cultural communities inside and outside the country have issued a series of public appeals. The Independent Iranian Filmmakers Association warned that “another Tiananmen tragedy is forming before our eyes” and urged international institutions and governments to act to deter further violence. A separate statement by prominent Iranian artists and intellectuals, including filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof and actor Shohreh Aghdashloo, condemned what they described as systematic violence against protesters and called on human rights organizations and foreign governments to respond “urgently” to protect detainees.
Iranian authorities have defended their response, characterizing protesters as “vandals” and “saboteurs” and blaming foreign interference for the unrest, while not providing detailed public accounting of casualties. With protests continuing in multiple cities and communications still heavily restricted, advocacy groups say they fear the number of artists and cultural workers affected could rise, and have called for sustained monitoring and independent investigations into the killings.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
