Iranian security forces shot dead a teenage motorcycle influencer who shared videos of herself riding without a headscarf, human rights organisations have reported.

Diana Bahador, a 19-year-old from northern Gonbad-e-Kavus known online as Baby Rider, was killed on January 8 in Gorgan during protests against the Islamic Republic.

She was reportedly shot twice with live ammunition around midnight, and her body was returned to her family two days later, the Hyrcani Human Rights group reported.

State media disputes account of death

Iranian state media disputed the account, saying Ms Bahador’s real name was Shahrzad Mokhami, who died January 22 in a crash in Golestan province when she lost control and hit a highway guardrail.

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.

Ms Bahador’s Instagram account posted a story claiming the death resulted from an accident and asking followers not to spread rumours, though rights groups say the family made the statement under duress from intelligence services.

Influencer posted stunt videos in defiance of ban

The influencer had 150,000 followers on Instagram, where she posted videos about her love of motorbikes and performing stunts and tricks while riding without a headscarf, both legally prohibited for women in Iran.

Her final post on January 6 shows her in a leather jacket dancing to Iranian music while riding.

Women in Iran face a decades-old ban on obtaining motorcycle licences, though a recent bill submitted to parliament could change that.

Heavy weapons used against protesters

Rights groups say security forces used heavy weapons, including machine guns, to suppress protests in Gorgan on January 8, when Ms Bahador was reportedly killed.

Witnesses told human rights organisations that suppression was more intense that night compared with demonstrations the previous evening.

Protests erupted at the end of December 2025, initially sparked by the deterioration of the Iranian Rial against the US dollar amid rising inflation, reports The Telegraph.

The demonstrations quickly escalated to anti-regime protests, spurred on by promises of “help” from Donald Trump, the US president.

Blame placed on Trump and exiled prince

Some Iranians blame Mr Trump and former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for the high death toll, as Iranians were encouraged by them to take to the streets in defiance of the regime.

Mr Pahlavi has been living in the US since before the 1979 revolution. He told unarmed protesters on one occasion to attack the “regime’s propaganda apparatus” as “legitimate targets”. Most of those places are guarded by armed men.

The protests have subsided since January 9, when clashes intensified. The following day, supporters of the Islamic Republic held rallies.

Judiciary warns of harsh treatment for detainees

Iran’s judiciary chief warned on Monday that there would be no leniency for detainees from protests if crimes were proven, signalling a hard line against the tens of thousands arrested.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i told prosecutors, judges and courts across Iran that “the situation is completely clear – do not show leniency to those who killed people and security defenders in the streets”.

He warned that those who “undermine the security of the country and people will be dealt with firmly according to the law”.

Meanwhile, the US Navy’s Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility on Monday after being redirected from operations in the Indo-Pacific.