Controversy over the death of an Iranian influencer: crossed versions surround the «Baby Rider» case

Diana Bahadorthe Iranian influencer known as «Baby Rider»died on January 8. According to organizations of Human Rightsthe 19-year-old girl was shot twice by security forces during a protest against the Supreme Leader Ali Jameneí. However, local state media claimed that he suffered a traffic accident.

According to media outlets such as People, The Telegraph y Daily Mailthe event occurred in the city of Gorgan, the capital of Golestan province, at midnight, when Bahador was killed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)a branch of Iran’s armed forces.

The organization Hyrcani Human Rights He assured that Bahador’s body was delivered to the family two days later under alleged pressure from the authorities, who had coerced the family to accept a «false official version» of the events in exchange for being able to recover the body and hold the funeral.

A source close to Bahador’s family assured The Telegraph that the authorities would only hand over the body if the family carried out a secret burial y they publicly denied that she had been murdered by government forces.

Instead, Iranian media claimed that the influencer’s real name was Shahrzad Mokhmi and that he suffered an accident on January 22 after crashing into a safety barrier on a highway in Golestan.

According to Daily Maila statement released on Bahador’s Instagram profile indicated that his death was the result of an accident and asked his followers to They did not spread rumors.

The «Baby Rider» case and the repression in Iran

The protests began in late December 2025, initially over the devaluation of the Iranian currency, the rial, against the dollar and the rising inflation that affected the country’s economy.

In this context, the influencer «Baby Rider» gained great popularity by sharing content about her lifestyle with her more than 205 thousand followers on Instagram. There, the young woman was shown riding her motorcycle, without her veil, with her face uncovered, which is prohibited for Iranian women.

Bahador became a resistance symbol and fight for individual freedom. In her last publication, dated January 6, she can be seen on her motorcycle and wearing leather.