A 19-year-old Iranian biker influencer, Diana Bahador, popularly known on Instagram as ‘Baby Rider’, was reportedly shot dead by Iranian security forces earlier this month, amid the country’s ongoing anti-government protests.
According to IranWire, Bahador, who had around 1.44 lakh followers on Instagram, was shot twice around midnight on January 9 in Gorgan city. She was known for posting high-adrenaline videos showcasing her control over superbikes and had allegedly participated in protest activities in the nights leading up to her death.
Her family reportedly searched for her for two days before receiving her body on January 11. IranWire further claimed that Bahador was buried in secret, amid heavy pressure from Iranian security and intelligence agencies.
In a conflicting development, a post on Bahador’s official Instagram account later claimed that she died in an 'accident.' The statement said her family was grieving and urged people not to spread rumours. IranWire, however, reported that the family was being forced to publicly deny the role of security forces in her death.
Bahador’s demise news shared on her official Instagram account |
The report also alleged that the crackdown on protesters in Gorgan was particularly severe, with security forces using machine guns and other heavy weapons to disperse crowds.
Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad strongly criticised the Iranian regime over Bahador’s death. In a post on X, she said the teenager’s only crime was being born under what she described as an Islamist dictatorship. Alinejad claimed Bahador was killed on January 9 by regime forces.
About Deadly Iranian Protests
Iran has been witnessing widespread protests since December last year, initially triggered by the sharp fall of the Iranian rial and rising inflation. The unrest later expanded into broader demonstrations against human rights violations, restrictions on women, and lack of civil freedoms under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
According to human rights groups, more than 6,000 people are believed to have been killed in the crackdown so far, with many others still feared dead, as reported by The Associated Press.
