16.01.2026 11:52
Families of those who died in the protests in Iran claim that security forces demanded thousands of dollars from them to release the bodies. It is reported that in some morgues and hospitals, the corpses are only handed over after payment is made, and families who cannot afford the fees are unable to receive the bodies. It has also been alleged that some officials told families that they could receive the bodies for free if they declared that their children were members of the Basij militia and were killed by protesters.
The families of those who lost their lives in the ongoing protests in Iran claimed that security forces demanded high amounts of money from them to receive the bodies. According to a report by BBC Persian, it is alleged that the corpses held in morgues and hospitals are only handed over to relatives upon payment.
THEY ISSUED A BILL OF 700 MILLION RIALS
In the city of Rasht, a family was issued a bill of 700 million rials, equivalent to about 5 thousand dollars, for the funeral of their relative. In Tehran, it was reported that the family of a seasonal construction worker was asked for 7 thousand dollars, and the family, unable to provide this amount, had to leave the body at the hospital. It was emphasized that these fees have become an unbearable burden for many people with a monthly income of less than 100 dollars.
There were also claims that some hospital staff secretly warned families to prevent security forces from coming and demanding money. A woman who learned of her husband's death from a healthcare worker on January 9 recounted that she took the body before the security forces arrived and went to her hometown with her two children. The woman stated that the journey took seven hours and that they traveled while crying at the head of the corpse during that time.
THEY GIVE IT FOR FREE TO THOSE WHO SAY "KILLED BY PROTESTERS"
According to BBC Persian, it was alleged that some officials at the Behesht-e Zahra morgue in Tehran told families that they could receive the body for free if they stated that their child was a member of the Basij militia and was killed by protesters. However, it was noted that some families did not accept this condition, with a family member stating, "We were asked to participate in a pro-government rally and to present the body as a martyr; we rejected this offer."
In some areas, it was reported that crowds headed to the morgues out of fear that officials might bury the bodies without notifying the families, breaking down doors to retrieve the corpses by their own means. Families concerned about preventing the retrieval of their relatives' bodies expressed that they kept vigil in the hospital courtyard until they found a private ambulance.