Families of protesters killed during the recent unrest in Iran have accused authorities of demanding large payments before releasing the bodies of their relatives for burial, according to accounts shared with the BBC.
Several sources told BBC Persian that bodies of those killed are being kept in hospital mortuaries, with security forces refusing to hand them over unless families pay substantial sums of money. These allegations come amid nationwide protests that have left thousands dead in just over two weeks.
According to figures from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 2,435 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, alongside 13 children and 153 members of the security forces or government. The group also reports that more than 18,000 people have been arrested.
In the northern city of Rasht, one family said they were asked to pay 700 million tomans to recover the body of a loved one being held at Poursina Hospital. They claimed that dozens of other bodies were also stored at the same facility. In Tehran, the relatives of a Kurdish seasonal construction worker reported being told they must pay one billion tomans to receive his body—an amount far beyond their means. Unable to raise the money, they left without him.
Some hospital staff have reportedly tried to help families avoid extortion by urging them to collect bodies quickly, before security forces intervene. BBC Persian learned of one woman, whose identity is being withheld for safety reasons, who only discovered her husband had been killed after receiving a call from hospital staff using his phone. She was advised to come immediately. The woman later transported her husband’s body herself over several hours to their hometown for burial.
There are also reports that officials at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra mortuary have offered to release bodies for free if families agree to claim their relatives were members of the Basij paramilitary force killed by protesters. One family said they were pressured to attend a pro-government rally and present their child as a “martyr,” an offer they rejected.
In some cases, fear of bodies being taken or buried without consent has driven families to desperate actions. Sources told BBC Persian that groups of relatives broke into a Tehran mortuary, removed bodies from ambulances, and guarded them in hospital courtyards until they could arrange private transport.
The situation remains difficult to verify fully due to widespread internet and communications blackouts. International human rights organisations and foreign media, including the BBC, are barred from reporting inside Iran.
The protests began in Tehran on 29 December after a sharp decline in the value of Iran’s currency and quickly spread nationwide. What started as economic demonstrations soon evolved into broader opposition to Iran’s clerical leadership. Authorities responded with a severe crackdown, particularly as protests intensified last week.
Arrests have continued across the country, with activists, lawyers, and ordinary citizens detained by security forces and Revolutionary Guard intelligence units, further deepening concerns over human rights and accountability.
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