The family of a young protester from Iran shared their harrowing experience of searching through piles of bodies to locate her after she was tragically killed during the government’s crackdown on demonstrations. Robina Aminian, a 23-year-old fashion student in Tehran, was believed to have been fatally shot by security forces on January 8.
Upon learning of Robina’s death, her mother traveled to Tehran from Kermanshah and had to navigate a crowded mortuary to find her daughter. Facing demands for bribes to release corpses, the family hurriedly retrieved Robina’s body to avoid potential obstruction by guards.
Nezar Minoei, Robina’s uncle, described the family’s desperate actions to secure her body, stating, “She actually stole the body.” Subsequently, they drove her body 230 miles back home only to find security forces surrounding their residence. In a swift decision to prevent losing trace of Robina, they buried her in an unmarked grave beside the road.
Reports from the Centre for Human Rights in Iran highlighted instances where intelligence forces extorted money from families for the return of protesters’ bodies, aiming to silence them through intimidation tactics. Some families were coerced into falsely declaring their deceased relatives as security force members before reclaiming the bodies.
While Iranian state television refuted these allegations by asserting that mortuary and burial services are free, activists estimate that over 3,090 individuals have died amid the protests against the authoritarian regime. The protests initially sparked over economic issues but evolved into a broader movement against the government.
Robina’s family emphasized her non-activist background and shared that she had joined a peaceful protest that turned violent when security forces opened fire. Nezar expressed sorrow, stating, “She wanted a bright future for herself. But unfortunately, the future has been stolen from her.”
Relatives in Oslo mentioned a lack of contact with the family in Iran following the tragic events.
