Mahmoud Sheikhian: Shot to the Neck and Died in the Arms of His Daughter

According to information obtained by IranWire, 49-year-old Mahmoud Sheikhian was killed by gunfire during protests in Shahreza, Isfahan province, on Friday, January 9.

Mahmoud Sheikhian, known as “Kian” to those close to him, was shot and killed by Islamic Republic security forces while taking part in the protests alongside his 14-year-old daughter.

Shahreza is a historic city in Isfahan province. While Isfahan city is the province’s main urban center, Shahreza is known for its close-knit community. In recent protests across Iran, parents have increasingly joined demonstrations with their children in an effort to protect one another, a reality that has also led to deeply traumatic scenes like the one described here.

One of Mahmoud Sheikhian’s relatives told IranWire how he was killed: “On Friday, when Mahmoud realized that an agent with a gun was preparing to fire at the people, he shouted for everyone to lie down on the ground. In doing so, he managed to move his daughter out of the line of fire.”

According to the witness, before Mahmoud could lie down himself, he was struck in the neck by a bullet fired by security forces. Mahmoud, who had joined the protest to protect his daughter, died in her arms.

A friend of Mahmoud’s, referring to the difficulties his family faced in recovering his body, added: “His body was transferred to the Shahreza Medical Examiner’s Office, but it was not delivered to the family until five days after he was shot. He was finally buried on January 14.”

As in many other cases, delays at Medical Examiner’s offices are commonly used by security forces to impose burial conditions. Families are often forced to agree to a “quiet” burial, without public chanting or large crowds, in exchange for the return of their loved one’s body.

According to available information, Mahmoud worked at a private company and was one of the artists of Shahreza. He played the santur and, in addition to his 14-year-old daughter, was also the father of an 18-year-old son. Mahmoud Sheikhian had shared clips of his santur playing on his Instagram page under the name “Kian.” In his first post, he wrote alongside his photo: “I don’t know what fate has in store for us.”