Authorities in Iran are demanding large sums of money from the families of protesters who have been killed during the ongoing protests. According to multiple sources, including BBC Persian, security forces are withholding the bodies of deceased protesters until their relatives pay a hefty fee.
The demands for money vary widely, with some reports suggesting that families were asked to pay as much as 700 million tomans ($5,000) to release the body of a loved one. In another case, a family in Tehran was told they must pay a billion tomans ($7,000) to receive the body of their son.
The situation is dire for many families, who are struggling to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The protests began in late December and have since spread across the country, with security forces responding with force.
International human rights organizations have condemned the treatment of protesters and the demands being made by authorities. The BBC has been unable to report directly from Iran due to an internet blackout imposed by the government.
At least 2,435 people have been killed in the protests, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). More than 18,000 others have been arrested, including activists, lawyers, and ordinary citizens.
The situation is further complicated by a lack of access for international journalists, who are not allowed to report on the ground. However, there are reports of families taking matters into their own hands, breaking into mortuaries to retrieve bodies and guarding them until they can find private ambulances to transport them safely.
The protesters' demands for change are focused on issues such as economic hardship, corruption, and a lack of freedoms in Iran. The situation remains volatile, with the government showing no signs of relenting its crackdown on dissent.
As one family put it, "I rode in the back of the pickup truck, crying over his body for seven hours while my children sat in the front seat." The loss is heartbreaking, and many are left to wonder what could have been done differently to prevent such a tragedy.
The demands for money vary widely, with some reports suggesting that families were asked to pay as much as 700 million tomans ($5,000) to release the body of a loved one. In another case, a family in Tehran was told they must pay a billion tomans ($7,000) to receive the body of their son.
The situation is dire for many families, who are struggling to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The protests began in late December and have since spread across the country, with security forces responding with force.
International human rights organizations have condemned the treatment of protesters and the demands being made by authorities. The BBC has been unable to report directly from Iran due to an internet blackout imposed by the government.
At least 2,435 people have been killed in the protests, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). More than 18,000 others have been arrested, including activists, lawyers, and ordinary citizens.
The situation is further complicated by a lack of access for international journalists, who are not allowed to report on the ground. However, there are reports of families taking matters into their own hands, breaking into mortuaries to retrieve bodies and guarding them until they can find private ambulances to transport them safely.
The protesters' demands for change are focused on issues such as economic hardship, corruption, and a lack of freedoms in Iran. The situation remains volatile, with the government showing no signs of relenting its crackdown on dissent.
As one family put it, "I rode in the back of the pickup truck, crying over his body for seven hours while my children sat in the front seat." The loss is heartbreaking, and many are left to wonder what could have been done differently to prevent such a tragedy.
this is so heart breaking.. the way authorities are treating these families is just not right... withholding bodies until they pay a fee is literally torture... and 700 million tomans?! that's like, insane 
it's not about money, it's about human rights and dignity... families have enough to worry about losing their loved ones, let alone having to shell out a fortune for a release 
how can they even expect families to cope with such demands? 
it's time for the government to take responsibility for its actions and treat these people with some basic humanity 
can you even believe what's happening in Iran right now?! It's like something straight out of "A Separation" 
- the government's handling of this situation is so messed up. I mean, demanding money from grieving families as a condition for releasing their loved ones? It's just heartbreaking. Those 700 million tomans they're asking for is like $5,000... can you imagine being asked to pay that much on top of losing someone? 
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. I mean, can't they see that it's not about money at this point? The government has lost control, and people are fed up with the corruption and lack of freedoms 
. These demands by authorities are basically telling families that their dead loved ones aren't even worthy of a proper burial if they don't pay up 
. It's like the government wants to hide this from the world, but at least some people are speaking out against it, even if they can't report directly from Iran 
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. The fact that international human rights organizations have spoken out against this is a good start, but something needs to be done ASAP. These numbers of people killed and arrested are staggering, it's not just about economic hardship and corruption, it's about basic human dignity and respect. We need to keep raising awareness about what's happening in Iran 
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. It's simply unacceptable that families of protesters who've lost their loved ones are being forced to pay large sums of money just to be able to bury them with dignity. I mean, can you even imagine having to beg for the body of a family member in order to say goodbye? It's like they're not even human beings anymore.
. The government should be taking responsibility for their own actions and providing support to families in crisis, not piling on more trauma and financial burden. And let's not forget the countless reports of arbitrary arrests, torture, and even killings 
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this is just so sad 
Okay, okay, I know it sounds dramatic, but seriously, can't we do better than this? 
Can't there be some kind of support system in place for families who are going through something like this? 
Like, we need to think of a way to help these people, not just sympathize from the outside looking in... we should try to find a way to make it right. 
How can you put a price tag on human life? 
and the international community needs to do somethin about it too - we cant just sit back and watch this unfold. theres gotta be some sorta accountability here
. It's like they're taking advantage of already grieving families who've lost loved ones in the protests. $5,000 or $7,000 is just outrageous 
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i mean, shouldn't they be showing some compassion or respect for the dead? 
instead of making them pay through the nose