Iran Accused of Demanding Ransom to Return Bodies of Protesters. Iranian authorities are being accused of demanding large sums of money from grieving families to return the bodies of protesters killed during nationwide demonstrations, according to testimonies shared with the BBC. Multiple sources told BBC Persian that bodies are being held in hospitals and mortuaries, and security forces refuse to release them unless families pay. At least 2,435 people have reportedly been killed during more than two weeks of protests. One family in the northern city of Rasht said they were asked to pay around $5,000 to retrieve their loved one’s body, which was being held alongside dozens of others. In Tehran, another family was told to pay about $7,000 — a sum far beyond the means of most workers in Iran. In some cases, hospital staff have secretly warned families to collect bodies quickly before security forces arrive. One widow described transporting her husband’s body for hours to bury him, after rushing to avoid payment demands. There are also claims that some families were pressured to falsely label victims as pro-government fighters in exchange for releasing their bodies — offers they refused.