In December 2022, during the peak of Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom protests, a 36-year-old physician named Dr. Aida Rostami disappeared in Tehran. Her body was returned to her family the next day, reportedly bearing signs of severe trauma. Iranian state media described her death as an accident or suicide. Human rights organizations and medical colleagues disagreed, alleging she was targeted for treating injured protesters in secret.
This article outlines what is confirmed, what remains disputed, and why her death sparked outrage both inside and outside the Iranian medical community.
Dr. Aida Rostami was a general practitioner in Tehran. She worked at Shahid Chamran Hospital and had recently applied to open her own clinic. She was also active in humanitarian work, providing care to underserved communities and earthquake survivors.
After the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, nationwide protests erupted. Protesters who were injured during clashes with security forces often avoided hospitals out of fear of arrest. Rostami reportedly began secretly treating wounded demonstrators in their homes, particularly in areas like Ekbatan, a protest hub in western Tehran.
Her colleagues later said she believed she could not stand by while young people were being shot and wounded.
On December 12, 2022, Dr. Rostami called her mother after finishing her shift at Chamran Hospital. She said she was on her way home. She never arrived.
The next morning, the police informed her family that she had died. When relatives saw her body at the medical examiner's office, they described signs of severe injuries, including:
A crushed face
A broken arm
Bruising across the torso
A removed and stitched eye
Skull fractures
An official death certificate reportedly listed her cause of death as “brain injury and skull fracture caused by a hard object.”
What is known:
Dr. Rostami was a practicing physician in Tehran
She treated injured protesters at home
She disappeared on 12 December 2022
Her body was returned with visible trauma
Her official cause of death was blunt force head injury
What is alleged (by rights groups and family):
She was kidnapped, beaten, and killed by security forces
She was targeted for helping protesters avoid state hospitals
Medical staff were told not to reveal the true cause of death
What Iranian officials claimed:
She died after falling or being pushed from a pedestrian bridge
The fall was allegedly during a dispute with a man described as her “partner”
The man reportedly confessed, though details changed over time
Multiple independent sources, including IranWire, Iran International, and the Center for Human Rights in Iran, reported that the injuries were consistent with torture and not a simple fall or accident.
Dr. Rostami’s death sparked protests within Iran’s medical sector. Some healthcare workers announced strikes, and two high-ranking members of the Tehran Medical Council resigned in protest of the regime’s treatment of doctors.
Internationally, medical associations in Germany issued statements condemning her death. A joint letter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Iran and called her killing a violation of international medical ethics.
The World Medical Association and Physicians for Human Rights emphasized that healthcare workers must never be punished for providing care. Their calls for investigation into her death reflected broader concerns about the targeting of doctors during political unrest.
During the 2022–2023 protests, Iranian doctors and nurses faced growing pressure. Reports indicate:
Security forces were stationed at hospitals to identify injured protesters
Ambulances and mobile clinics were sometimes intercepted or blocked
Medical staff were detained or interrogated for treating wounded civilians
Some doctors had to treat patients in secret, risking their own safet
The Center for Human Rights in Iran reported that at least 80 healthcare workers were arrested, and multiple doctors faced violent retaliation. Dr. Rostami’s case became a powerful example of these risks.
Who was Dr. Aida Rostami?
Dr. Aida Rostami was an Iranian general practitioner in Tehran who treated injured protesters during the 2022 unrest.
When did Dr. Aida Rostami die?
Dr. Aida Rostami disappeared on December 12, 2022. Her death was reported the next day.
What caused Dr. Aida Rostami's death?
Official sources cited a fall or impact injury. Independent reports and family statements claim she was beaten to death.
Why is Dr. Aida Rostami's case controversial?
Dr. Aida Rostami's body showed signs of severe trauma. Officials claimed it was an accident, but human rights groups and medical sources believe she was targeted for helping protesters.
What is medical neutrality?
It is the principle that doctors must be free to treat the injured without interference or punishment, regardless of the patient’s politics or identity.
Amnesty International. 2023. Iran: Medical Professionals Targeted in Crackdown on Protesters. February 6, 2023. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/6310/2023/en/.
Center for Human Rights in Iran. 2023. “Iran Protests: More Doctors Treating Protesters Killed, Tortured and Detained.” February 10, 2023. https://iranhumanrights.org/2023/02/iran-protests-more-doctors-treating-protesters-killed-tortured-and-detained/.
Deutsche Welle. 2022. “German Medical Groups Condemn Iran Crackdown on Doctors.” December 19, 2022. https://www.dw.com/en/german-medical-groups-condemn-iran-crackdown-on-doctors/a-64130191.
Iran International. 2022. “Doctor Treating Protesters in Iran Dies in Suspicious Circumstances.” December 18, 2022. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202212189467.
Iran Rights (Abdorrahman Boroumand Center). 2023. “Aida Rostami.” Memorial. Accessed January 14, 2026. https://www.iranrights.org/memorial/story/-8967/aida-rostami.
IranWire. 2022. “Tehran Doctor Tortured and Killed for Treating Wounded Protesters.” December 18, 2022. https://iranwire.com/en/politics/111407-tehran-doctor-tortured-and-killed-for-treating-wounded-protesters/.
Tasnim News. 2022. “آیدا رستمی و روایتهای غیرمعتبر درباره مرگ وی [Aida Rostami and Unreliable Narratives about Her Death].” December 20, 2022. https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1401/09/29/2824372.
