Sina Naderi

Sina Naderi(August 6, 2000 – October 12, 2022)

Sina Naderi was a 22-year-old young man and a follower of the Yarsan faith, born on August 6, 2000, in Kermanshah, Iran. He lived in the Dareh-Darij neighborhood, an area that became one of the focal points of unrest during the nationwide protests of 2022.

Approximately two weeks before his death, Sina was arrested during street protests in the Nobahar district of Kermanshah by forces affiliated with the Nabi Akram Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was transferred to Dizel Abad Prison, where he remained detained for one week before being released on bail set at 1 billion rials (100 million tomans). This arrest marked his first direct encounter with the security apparatus during the protests.

On the evening of Wednesday, October 12, 2022, as protests intensified in the neighborhoods of Dareh-Darij (Mahdieh) and Eslamiyeh in Kermanshah, Sina Naderi joined many other citizens in public demonstrations. According to reports and eyewitness accounts, IRGC and Basij forces opened fire on protesters from the rooftop of a Basij base. The shooting was reportedly carried out from behind, using live ammunition.

During this crackdown, Sina Naderi was deliberately targeted and struck by gunfire twice. The first bullet hit his right arm. Moments later, a second bullet struck his side, passed through his chest, and caused severe internal injuries. He collapsed immediately after the second impact.

People nearby attempted to remove him from the line of fire and rushed him to Farabi Hospital, located in Meydan-e Ashayer. Despite these efforts, the severity of his injuries and internal bleeding proved fatal. Sina Naderi died approximately thirty minutes after being admitted to the hospital.

Following his death, the process of returning his body to the family was accompanied by pressure and restrictive conditions. Reports indicate that security forces demanded a payment of 1 billion rials under the pretext of “material damages” before releasing his body. His family رفض this demand and warned that if the body was not returned, protests in Dareh-Darij would resume.

Subsequently, judicial, security, and political authorities in Kermanshah reportedly attempted to pressure the family into accepting an alternative official narrative regarding Sina’s death. Proposals included classifying him as a state-recognized “martyr” or registering his death as accidental, in exchange for compensation (blood money). The family rejected these proposals and maintained that Sina was killed in the pursuit of freedom.

Eventually, his body was returned to the family on the condition that the burial take place quickly and without public unrest. The funeral was held on Thursday, October 13, 2022, at the Dareh-Darij cemetery, under a tense atmosphere and reported security presence.

Forty days after his death, on November 21, 2022, a large number of citizens gathered again in Dareh-Darij, Kermanshah, to commemorate him. The gathering evolved into renewed protests, during which participants expressed anger and dissent through various slogans directed at the ruling authorities.

The killing of Sina Naderi, alongside other victims of the protests in Kurdish regions, received significant coverage in media outlets and human rights reports. These accounts documented the use of live ammunition by security forces against protesters and the deaths of several individuals in different cities across western Iran on the same night.

The life and death of Sina Naderi represent the story of a young man who, during one of the most turbulent periods in contemporary Iran, was first detained, then fatally shot in the streets. His death became part of the collective memory of the protests—a narrative shaped by harsh realities, the resistance of his family, and the response of society.