19-Year-Old Influencer Killed by Security Forces During Gorgan Crackdown

Diana Bahadori, a 19-year-old from Gonbad-e Kavus known online as Baby Rider, was shot dead by security forces in the city of Gorgan on January 9.

Diana was a well-known motorcycle influencer in Iran, admired for her distinctive style and her control over powerful superbikes.

A source told IranWire that Diana was shot twice with live ammunition around midnight on Friday, January 9. After searching for her for two days, her family finally received her body on January 11.

According to the source, Diana had taken part in the protests on the nights of January 8 and 9. The crackdown in Gorgan on the 9th was reportedly brutal, with security forces allegedly deploying heavy weapons, including machine guns, against protesters.

Simultaneously with the news of her death, a post appeared on Diana’s Instagram page claiming she died in a driving accident, stating: “The incident for dear Diana was due to a crash. The family is deeply grieving. Please do not create rumors.”

However, the source told IranWire that the Bahadori family is under severe pressure from intelligence and security agencies. Diana was buried in secret, and her family has been forced to publicly deny that the government was responsible for her death.

Families are often threatened with the arrest of their other children or with the withholding of the victim’s body unless they record a “confession” or publish a specific statement on social media.

Diana Bahadori represents a specific demographic that the Islamic Republic finds threatening: young, modern women who claim public spaces.