Mehdi Ghanbari, a 27-year-old citizen from Malekshahi in Ilam Province, lost his life due to the deterioration of his physical condition following a live gunshot wound.
According to Kolbarnews, on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Mehdi Ghanbari was shot with live ammunition by government forces during nationwide protests in Ilam, sustaining injuries to his kidney, intestines, and thigh, and despite medical efforts, he died.
Security institutions have stated that handing over Mehdi Ghanbari’s body to his family was conditional on the payment of 500 million tomans and the denial of the right to bury him in his hometown, Malekshahi. Due to financial inability, the Ghanbari family was forced to present their son as a government force member killed by the people, and the residents of Malekshahi did not allow his burial in his hometown and did not attend his funeral.
