"Iranian Authorities Demand Large Sums for Return of Bodies"
Some Families Forced to Leave Without Loved Ones Due to High Costs
Iranian authorities have reportedly been demanding large sums of money from the families of those killed during anti-government protests in exchange for returning the bodies of the deceased. There have been multiple cases where families, unable to afford these costs, have not been able to reclaim their relatives' bodies.
Body bags piled up in the yard of Kahrizak Forensic Center, a forensic facility on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran. Photo by AP Yonhap News
On January 15 (local time), the BBC reported that "families of those killed in Iranian protests are being asked to pay large sums to receive the bodies of their loved ones."
According to the report, a family living in Rasht, a city in northern Iran, told the BBC that security forces demanded approximately 5,000 dollars (about 737,000 won) in exchange for releasing the body of a deceased relative. The family said that the body was being kept in the morgue of Poursina Hospital along with at least 70 other protest victims.
A similar case was confirmed in Tehran. The family of a Kurdish seasonal worker was reportedly told they would have to pay about 7,000 dollars (about 1,031,000 won) to have the body returned.
This family told the BBC that they had no choice but to leave without their son's body because they could not afford the cost. It is reported that the average monthly income for a construction worker in Iran is usually less than 100 dollars (about 150,000 won).
In some cases, hospital staff reportedly contacted families in advance, urging them to retrieve the bodies quickly before security authorities could intervene.
In Tehran, due to fears that authorities might secretly remove or bury the bodies without the families' knowledge, several families have stormed morgues to reclaim the bodies themselves. One source said, "Several families broke down the morgue doors, pulled the bodies from ambulances, and guarded them in the hospital yard for hours while trying to find private ambulances."
Iranians are attending an anti-government protest held on the 8th (local time) in the capital city of Tehran. Photo by AP Yonhap News
There have also been claims that Iranian authorities demanded political cooperation instead of money in exchange for returning the bodies. According to the BBC, some families of the deceased were offered the bodies for free if they participated in pro-government propaganda activities. One victim's family said, "We were told to attend a pro-government rally and present the deceased as a 'martyr,' but we refused."
Internet and communications have been cut off across Iran, making it difficult to accurately assess the local situation. International human rights organizations and foreign media have also been denied access to report on the ground. The protests began in Tehran on December 29 last year after the value of the Iranian currency plummeted. They have since spread to dozens of cities nationwide, developing into anti-government demonstrations against the clergy-led ruling system.
Since last week, the protests have intensified, and authorities are reportedly responding with increasingly harsh crackdowns. The US-based human rights organization Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that at least 2,435 protesters have been killed since the protests began, along with 13 children and 153 security and government officials. The organization also estimated that at least 18,470 people have been arrested.
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