Human rights organisations have reported that Iranian security forces shot dead a 19-year-old motorcycle influencer known as Baby Rider, who shared videos of herself riding without a headscarf. Diana Bahador was killed on January 8 in Gorgan during protests against the Islamic Republic, according to the Hyrcani Human Rights group.
The group stated that she was shot twice with live ammunition around midnight, and her body was returned to her family two days later. Iranian state media disputed this account, claiming her real name was Shahrzad Mokhami and that she died on January 22 in a crash in Golestan province.
A source close to Ms Bahador's family said officials would only release the body if the family conducted a secret burial and publicly denied she was killed by government forces. Her Instagram account posted a story claiming the death resulted from an accident, but rights groups say the family made the statement under duress from intelligence services.
Ms Bahador had 150,000 followers on Instagram, where she posted videos of herself performing stunts while riding without a headscarf, which is legally prohibited for women in Iran. Women also face a ban on obtaining motorcycle licences, though a recent bill could change that.
Rights groups say security forces used heavy weapons, including machine guns, to suppress protests in Gorgan on January 8. The protests began in late December 2025 over the deteriorating Iranian Rial and rising inflation, escalating into anti-regime demonstrations encouraged by US President Donald Trump and former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
Iran's judiciary chief warned on Monday that there would be no leniency for detainees if crimes were proven. Meanwhile, the US Navy's Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility after being redirected from the Indo-Pacific.
