Media: Iran forces families to pay to retrieve bodies of slain protesters “Money for bullets”

Iranian authorities are demanding payment from the families of protesters killed during the recent unrest before releasing the bodies of their relatives, BILD reports.

The practice, widely described by activists as “money for bullets,” is framed as compensation for the ammunition used by security forces to shoot the victims. Human rights groups say families are being charged thousands of euros, effectively forcing them to finance the killing of their own loved ones.

According to activists, those who refuse to pay do not receive the bodies at all. Instead, the deceased are buried anonymously in mass graves, denying families the opportunity to hold a proper funeral. Relatives are also pressured into signing documents attributing death to fabricated causes such as “heart failure.” Even when burial is permitted, ceremonies may take place only at night, with limited attendance and under close supervision by security forces.

The latest wave of unrest began after a steep decline in the national currency but rapidly expanded into widespread political demonstrations demanding the government’s removal.

Official and media reports put the death toll at more than 2,000, a figure also acknowledged by Vice President Ahmad Musavi. HRANA, a US-based human rights organisation, reported that fatalities have likely exceeded 2,500.

US media outlets, citing multiple sources — including one inside Iran — note that activist networks gathering information from hospitals and medical personnel now estimate that the true number of deaths is at least 12,000, with some assessments suggesting that the toll could reach 20,000 or more.

By Tamilla Hasanova