Bribery, Theft, Extorsion: Jailed Iran Protesters, Families Want Their Jewels And Pets Back

More than 18,000 Iranians have been arrested in the brutal state crackdown on the ongoing wave of nationwide protests, according to human rights defenders, with their houses being searched and their families’ personal belongings such as electronic devices and cars being confiscated.

After speaking with nine people in different cities across Iran, IranWire found that the security forces often do not return the valuable items. In some cases, they promise the families to release their loved ones from detention in exchange for bribes. In one case, a released prisoner was asked to cooperate with the security forces if he wanted his belongings back.

“They also took my pets with them”

Four of the people interviewed by IranWire said that the authorities did not return their seized jewelry, money and cars after they were released on bail.

A young woman who lives in eastern Iran said that she was arrested in late October when a group of security agents raided her family house and confiscated her documents, business license and stamp. The family’s pets, cars, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, as well as gold coins and jewelry that were inside their safe box were also taken away.

The woman has since been released from custody and her brother’s car has been returned, but the family is still waiting for their other belongings.

"They haven’t returned any of the items they took. I don't know how much their exact value is, but the coins were my savings, and I was using my car for my daily transportation. What is more heartbreaking is that when they raided my house, they also took my pets with them. They don't give any information about them, and I don't even know if my innocent children are alive or dead," she told IranWire.

The woman said the officers broke three of her fingers with a baton while arresting her.

The family of a man arrested on a street in the eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan said that security agents confiscated the electronic devices that were in the house and jewels worth 800 million tomans ($21,000). The jewelry was not mentioned in their report.

“You Baluch people say you don't even have bread to eat, where did you get all this gold from," the family quoted one of the agents as saying.

The family member has since been released on bail, but the jewels have not been returned

A person who was arrested during the first month of the protests in the city of Bukan, West Azerbaijan Province, told IranWire that after being arrested on the street, about 10 members of the security forces stormed his residence and took away his money, jewelry, mobile phones and other items such as TV sets.

He was later released on bail, but his attempts to get his belongings back have so far been unsuccessful.

Released in return for cash

Two arrested people mentioned that the authorities had asked their families for bribes in exchange for their quick release.

An Iranian taken to custody after a gathering marking the anniversary of the 2018 protests in a southern city told IranWire that the authorities demanded 50 million tomans ($1,300) in cash for his release.

Another person arrested in November during protests in the western Kurdish city of Saqqez said a government official had told his family to bring 80 million tomans ($2,100) in cash to a bank and deposit the money in a personal account.

The official said the payment would speed up the interrogation process and the release of the detainee.

“We don't want much from you…”

A citizen from a northern province who was arrested on October 26 during a gathering marking the 40th day since the death of Mahsa Amini, which triggered the current wave of protests, said his interrogators had called him several times after he was set free on bail.

He was warned that he should film protesters if he wanted back his confiscated iPhone and watch.

"They told me that if I want my mobile phone, I should cooperate with them. One of them said, 'We don't want much from you, keep doing what you were doing before. Attend rallies and take videos and send them to us instead of foreigners,'” he told IranWire.