The Iranian student Rubina Aminian (23) was killed after being shot in the back of the head during protests in the capital, Tehran, in a new incident highlighting the escalating security violence against demonstrators in Iran.

According to human rights reports, Aminian had joined the protests after finishing her classes at Shariati College in Tehran, amid weeks of ongoing demonstrations against the authorities.

The organization "Iran Human Rights" stated that she was killed by close-range gunfire, suggesting she was directly targeted by security forces.

Iranian student Rubina Aminian (The Sun)

The organization added that Aminian’s parents traveled from Kermanshah to Tehran on a difficult journey to search for their daughter’s body. They were forced to examine hundreds of corpses of young men and women killed during the protests before finally identifying her.

According to the same sources, the family was prevented from holding a public funeral and compelled to bury her in a simple grave by the side of an abandoned road, after security forces surrounded their home.

Aminian’s social media accounts feature videos of her before her death, showing her putting on makeup, trying on jewelry, and smiling at the camera - scenes of an ordinary young life tragically cut short by a bullet.

The incident comes amid a deadly wave of protests, with human rights organizations reporting that more than 500 people - most of them young - have been killed, in addition to thousands injured or arrested.

Authorities face accusations of using excessive force and enforcing a media blackout by cutting off internet access for extended periods.

Doctors and activists have reported testimonies from Tehran hospitals facing immense pressure, with hundreds of fatalities and injuries recorded within just a few days. Medical sources described fatal wounds caused by gunshots to the head and neck, reinforcing accusations of systematic killings.

The case of student Rubina Aminian has sparked widespread outrage both inside and outside Iran, making her a new symbol of the protests’ victims, as international calls grow for an independent investigation, accountability for violations, and an end to the targeting of civilians and peaceful demonstrators.