Iranian authorities are reportedly demanding significant payments from families to release the bodies of protesters killed in recent nationwide unrest, according to a BBC investigation. This practice has emerged amid a violent crackdown on demonstrations that began in late December 2025, with security forces holding corpses until relatives pay large sums, exacerbating grief and financial strain.
Multiple sources have told BBC Persian that bodies are being withheld in mortuaries and hospitals unless money is handed over, with documented cases in cities like Rasht and Tehran. In Rasht, a family was asked for 700 million tomans (about $5,000) to retrieve a body from Poursina Hospital, where at least 70 other deceased protesters were held. In Tehran, another family was told to pay a billion tomans (approximately $7,000) for their son’s body, an impossible amount given typical monthly wages under $100 in Iran, forcing them to leave without the remains.
The crackdown has resulted in a high death toll, with the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reporting at least 2,435 protesters killed since unrest began, along with 13 children and 153 security personnel. Over 18,470 people have been arrested as security forces target activists and ordinary citizens. Protests started in Tehran on December 29, 2025, triggered by a sharp fall in the Iranian rial’s value, but quickly turned anti-government, leading to a violent response from authorities.
In response, the United States has sanctioned five top Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, whom the Treasury Department accuses of advocating violence against protesters. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized U.S. support for the Iranian people’s legitimate demands, while the State Department designated the notorious Fardis Prison. These actions come amid heightened tensions, with President Donald Trump threatening military action and Iran briefly closing its airspace over fears of U.S. intervention.
A sustained internet and communications blackout has obscured the situation, making it difficult to verify casualty figures and assess the full extent of repression. According to online monitors, the blackout has been in place for over 150 hours, hindering accurate reporting and allowing authorities to operate with impunity. International human rights groups and news organizations lack direct access, relying on activist networks for information.
Families have resorted to desperate measures, such as breaking into mortuaries or heeding warnings from hospital staff to retrieve bodies before security forces arrive. In one account, a woman in Tehran received a call from hospital staff on her husband’s phone, alerting her to quickly collect his body to avoid extortion; she then drove seven hours with her children to bury him. Other reports indicate that officials at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra mortuary have offered to release bodies without charge if families falsely claim their loved ones were Basij paramilitary members killed by protesters.
The protests have drawn international condemnation, with the European Union and Amnesty International criticizing Iran’s disproportionate use of force. Iranian leaders have blamed foreign interference, particularly from the U.S. and Israel, for the unrest, while threatening retaliatory strikes. Despite claims from officials like Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the government is in control, ongoing arrests and planned expedited trials suggest the crisis continues.
As the standoff persists, the humanitarian toll mounts, with families facing both loss and financial exploitation. The U.S. and other nations are monitoring closely, with Trump indicating that further violence could trigger consequences, though he has hinted that killings may have temporarily halted. The future remains uncertain, with potential for escalated conflict or prolonged repression as Iran’s regime seeks to quell dissent under external pressure.
