As the Iranian government’s violent suppression of dissent continues this month, reports have surfaced of artists being killed by state forces, intensifying global condemnation. Among those reportedly slain are sculptor Mehdi Salahshour and filmmaker Javad Ganji. Due to a government-imposed internet blackout in Iran, journalists and human rights organizations are urgently trying to document the fatalities and detentions since protests against the regime began in December.
The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that over 2,400 protesters have been killed, with 18,137 arrested. The Norway-based Iranian Kurdish Hengaw Organization for Human Rights confirmed that Salahshour, aged 50, and Ganji, aged 39, were killed. This was corroborated by the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA), as noted by Deadline.
Nationwide demonstrations spanning Iran’s 31 provinces erupted late last year, initially sparked by inflation but evolving into a broader challenge against the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Salahshour was reportedly killed in Mashhad on January 8 by a military-grade weapon, identified as a Kalashnikov rifle, according to Hengaw.
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) issued a statement condemning the killings. “With suppressed information, assessing the scale of repression is challenging, but reports of attacks on artists show that anyone can be targeted,” stated Julie Trébault, ARC’s executive director. ARC urged international action to halt the escalating human rights abuses.
Ganji’s death was reported on January 9 in the Sadeghiyeh area of Tehran, where he was shot. The Iranian judiciary has pledged to hasten trials and executions of protesters, including for charges like “waging war against God.” Meanwhile, the US military is withdrawing personnel from a base in Qatar amid potential intervention threats, as President Trump warns of severe action if Iran proceeds with executions.
