The family of a young protester from Iran shared their heart-wrenching experience of searching among numerous bloody bodies to locate her remains. Robina Aminian, a 23-year-old fashion student at a college in Tehran, tragically lost her life on January 8 during the government’s harsh crackdown on protests. Allegedly shot by security forces, her family had to navigate a crowded mortuary to find her after traveling from Kermanshah.
In a distressing turn of events, the family had to hastily retrieve Robina’s body amidst demands for bribes by authorities. Nezar Minoei, her uncle, revealed that they had to essentially “steal the body” to avoid further complications. Upon driving her body back to Kermanshah, they encountered security forces surrounding their home. Fearing the worst, they hastily buried Robina in an unmarked grave by the roadside.
Reports from the Centre for Human Rights in Iran shed light on the extortion of money from families by intelligence forces for the return of deceased protesters’ bodies. Families recounted being coerced into falsely declaring their loved ones as security force members before retrieving the bodies. Iranian state TV denied these claims, asserting that mortuary and burial services are provided free of charge.
As the death toll from the protests rises, activists estimate over 3,090 casualties, with no official figures released by the Iranian government. Robina’s family emphasizes her non-political stance and innocence, stating she was merely part of a peaceful protest that turned deadly. Nezar lamented the loss of her promising future, stolen by the tragic events.
Despite their anguish, Robina’s relatives in Oslo remain cut off from communication with family members in Iran since the incident.