A referee and a student are among hundreds of people reportedly killed during massive anti-government protests in Iran.

Coach Amir Mohammad Koohkan, 26, was hit by live ammunition on 3 January during protests in the town of Neyriz, his friend told BBC Persian.

"Everyone knew him for his kindness", they said, adding his family is grieving and "angry because he was killed by the regime".

Five days later, student Rubina Aminian, 23, was shot from behind during a protest in Tehran, according to human rights groups. "She fought for things she knew were right", her uncle told CNN.

Nearly 500 protesters and 48 security personnel have been killed in two weeks of protests, a US-based rights group says.