Reza Khanzadeh

Reza Khanzadeh was a 19-year-old Kurdish resident of Esfarayen in North Khorasan Province. Hengaw Organization for Human Rights verified that he was killed during protests in Esfarayen on the evening of Thursday, 8 January 2026 (18 Dey 1404), when Iranian government forces opened fire with live ammunition.

Hengaw documented that at least twelve people, including seven Kurds, two Turkish residents, one minor, two women, and two university students, were killed in Esfarayen over 8–9 January after security forces used military-grade weapons, including DShK heavy machine guns and Kalashnikov rifles. Protests on 8 January began around 6:40 p.m. on Imam Reza Street and spread to Taleghani, Foroumandi, and Moallem streets and Khomeini Square; additional forces were deployed from Bojnord, Sabzevar, and Safiabad.