BEIRUT
Robina Aminian’s family believes the university student was shot in the back of the head at close range by Iranian security forces. But her killing during nationwide anti-government protests was only the beginning of their ordeal.
After her death, Aminian’s mother was forced to search through piles of bloodied corpses to recover her daughter’s body. Fearing authorities would demand payment for its release, the family then rushed to bury her in an unmarked roadside grave, denying her a formal funeral.
Their harrowing journey reflects a broader pattern of anguish as relatives across Iran desperately search morgues for loved ones killed in the state’s crackdown, their grief compounded by the inability to mourn with dignity.
More than a week later, the young Kurdish woman—who was studying fashion in Tehran—has yet to receive a proper funeral. “She wanted a bright future for herself,” her uncle, Nezar Minoei, said from exile in Oslo. “But unfortunately, the future has been stolen from her.”
By James Kisoo
