Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Feb 27: Families of protesters killed during Iran’s recent crackdown have alleged that authorities pressured them to falsify the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths, as the government sought to control the narrative surrounding the unrest.

Among those killed was 19-year-old Amirhossein Saedi, a computer science student who was shot in the face during demonstrations in Tehran, according to a relative who spoke anonymously fearing reprisals. Thousands were reported killed in early January during what rights groups described as a brutal suppression of protests by Iranian security forces.

Relatives of several victims told media and rights organisations that officials attempted to coerce them into declaring their deceased family members as “martyrs” for the Islamic Republic or as members of the Basij paramilitary force. Others were allegedly instructed to attribute the deaths to terrorists, foreign agents or even accidents and drug overdoses.

Human rights groups claim such intimidation tactics have long been used in Iran to silence dissent but became more systematic after the January crackdown. Families said security personnel attended mourning ceremonies, issued threats and, in some cases, demanded payments or signatures on official documents supporting the state’s version of events.

The father of 13-year-old Abolfazl Vahid Gezeljeh-Meydan, who was shot in the neck during protests in Tehran, was allegedly told to declare his son a Basij member or pay a substantial sum, according to messages reviewed by activist groups. Relatives said they continue to face pressure to accept the official account.

In another case, the family of 29-year-old Fahimeh Ajam, killed during protests in Azadshahr in Golestan province, alleged that armed men visited their home insisting she be declared a martyr killed by terrorists rather than by state forces.

Parviz Afshari, whose 17-year-old son Sam was shot during protests in Karaj, said authorities demanded his wife sign a document stating their son was a Basij member killed by terrorists. He alleged that security forces later threatened the family after they refused.

The scale of the crackdown remains disputed. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported thousands of deaths, while the Iranian government has acknowledged over 3,000 deaths but blamed most on what it describes as rioters involved in a foreign-backed plot.

Iranian authorities have not publicly responded in detail to the allegations that families were coerced into falsifying death records. Rights advocates say the reported pattern of intimidation appears systematic and aimed at reinforcing the state’s narrative while deterring further dissent.