Yahya Rahimi Sarabshaharki

Yahya Rahimi Sarabshaharki (November 30, 1991 – October 17, 2022)

Yahya Rahimi Sarabshaharki was a 31-year-old Iranian tile worker who was killed during the 2022 nationwide protests in Sanandaj, Iran.

Background and personal life

Yahya Rahimi came from a working-class family in the village of Sharabshahrak near Sanandaj. He had completed education up to the ninth grade and worked as a construction tile installer. To support himself financially, he also worked for periods in Iraqi Kurdistan. He had been married for about one year at the time of his death.
According to accounts from people close to him, he was known as a hardworking and family-oriented individual who was also sensitive to social injustice. He had previously participated in protests, including those in 2019.

Events of 16 October 2022

On 16 October 2022, during widespread protests in Sanandaj following the death of Mahsa Amini, Yahya Rahimi was on his way to work. In the Shesh Bahman (Pasdaran) Street area, he encountered a scene where drivers were honking their car horns as a form of peaceful protest.
He first recorded the situation on his phone from inside his car and then joined the protest by honking his horn as well.
According to multiple witness accounts and video material published by human rights groups, security forces and plainclothes agents attacked protesting vehicles in the area. His car window was reportedly smashed, and shortly afterward he was shot at close range. The bullet struck his head, and he died at the scene while still seated in his vehicle.
Footage of his body inside the car quickly spread on social media and caused widespread shock and anger.

Aftermath and family response

At first, his family was unaware of his fate. They began searching hospitals and official institutions before recognizing him through images circulating online. His body was later identified at Behesht Mohammad cemetery in Sanandaj.
Reports from sources close to the family state that authorities exerted pressure on the family following the incident, including restrictions on information sharing and the handling of evidence from the scene.

Burial

Yahya Rahimi was buried on the night of 16 October 2022 at Behesht Mohammad cemetery in Sanandaj, under heavy security supervision. The funeral was limited to close family members, and authorities reportedly controlled the timing and conditions of the burial.

Wider context and significance

His killing became one of the widely discussed cases during the 2022 protests in Iran. It drew attention because he was not participating in a large street demonstration but was killed while engaging in a symbolic and peaceful form of protest—honking his car horn.
His case has since been cited by human rights organizations as part of broader reports documenting the use of lethal force against protesters during that period.

Conclusion

Yahya Rahimi’s death is considered one of the notable cases from the 2022 Iranian protests in Sanandaj, reflecting broader patterns of confrontation between protesters and security forces during that time.