'We have to say their names' — Iranians in Canada speak out about losing family to deadly protests in Iran

Iranian-Canadian Tayebeh Poshtareh was scrolling Instagram before this month when she was shocked to escort a carry that said her cousins had died protesting in islamic republic of iran.

She says her endorse cousins, Hamid and Vahid Arzanlu, were in the streets of Tehran on Jan. 8, when they were shot as Iran's theocratic government unleashed a bloody crackdown following nationwide protests that began late last year. The government also imposed an internet blackout, and as a result, Poshtareh, who lives in Newmarket, Ont., still hasn't been able to send her condolences to her extended family.

After seeing the Instagram post, she contacted a relative in Montreal, who'd heard the news from family in Iran and confirmed it.

The relative told Poshtareh that Hamid, the older brother, was shot by Iranian forces first, and Vahid was shot when he tried to help. Both were taken to hospital, the relative said, but they both succumbed to their injuries, with Hamid dying first on Jan. 12, and Vahid a few days later.  

Poshtareh says her cousins were protesting because they wanted nothing more than a better life, "to make sure that Iran will be a better country" for their kids. 

“I want everyone to know about them, that they are nice and caring people — about family, about friends, about their homeland country,” she said.

Even now, with more access to the internet in Iran, Poshtareh says she can't call her family members there, they can only reach her on the phone. She says the lack of communication is taking a toll on her family in Canada, while those still in Iran are facing pressure from the regime. 

“They're killing us here in Canada as a Canadian citizen,” she said. €œBecause I really don't know what's going on over there.”

And she’s not alone.

Yasaman received a message from her cousin in Iran in mid-January that her aunt had been shot in the leg while protesting in Tehran. She was taken to hospital, but her cousin told her the doctors weren’t allowed to operate on her and she bled to death. 

“I haven't had a moment to even cry yet because I just feel like this is not the time for me to be mourning,” said Yasaman.

“I didn't want my aunt's blood to go in vain. If she died, it has to be for a good reason. And I hope that my voice can save others”

Though lines of communication are still spotty, Yasaman says she can now sometimes briefly connect with her family back home. But fear is still present during these conversations. 

“Because of the pressure that is on the families of those … who've been murdered, they are very scared to talk about anything. So we're pretty much just having vague conversations. €˜Hi, we're fine. How are you?’ 

“We cannot ask any further questions,” said Yasaman. 

Iranian forces pulling injured protesters from hospitals: reports

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s most powerful armed forces group, was created shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution to preserve and defend the Islamic system. The European Union has recently designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Canada did the same in June 2024.

Poshtareh says her family members were forced to sign paperwork that stated Hamid died of a heart attack. And out of fear about what may happen to Vahid, who was still alive at the time, she says they signed that document.  

But then Vahid died and Poshtareh says the family faced a similar demand — either sign a document stating he was part of the IRGC forces and died at the hands of terrorists, or pay a large sum to obtain his body. 

Arsalan Khanemuyipour, an activist and professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto Mississauga, says there are many reports of the regime pressuring families to state that their loved ones were part of the IRGC rather than protesters. Or they’re asked to pay to retrieve their bodies. 

“To pay something maybe equivalent to $3,000 to take the body of their loved ones because that's the price of the bullet.”

EU lists Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organization

Iran’s digital restrictions have shrouded the country in mystery, making it difficult to determine an accurate count of those who have died during the protests. 

Though the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Tuesday suggested that at least 6,159 people had died, Iran's government claims 3,117 people have been killed. It said 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labelled the rest "terrorists." In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

Kahnemuyipour says it's possible the government is announcing a larger death toll than they have in the past because the number of people killed during these protests is higher.  

“But also they have come up with this bizarre narrative that these people were killed by foreign agents,” he said.

The Iranian regime has blamed foreign entities for the unrest that swept the country this year.

Kahnemuyipour says he believes tens of thousands of people have died at the hands of Iranian forces this year. 

“There are other more reliable figures coming from doctors in hospitals who are actually trying to help,” he said.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, an independent organization tracking human rights violations in Iran, has been actively trying to verify and share the stories of those who have died during the demonstrations. 

“When the government is brutally killing its own people, not letting them speak out, it becomes your [responsibility] to be their voice, to talk about their stories,” said Awyar Shekhi, who works for Hengaw. 

Shekhi says they rely on a network of reliable sources to send them information about individuals who have died, like pictures or direct information from their families. But with inconsistent lines of communication from the blackouts, Shekhi says the process becomes even more complicated. 

“It's a really long process, especially if you receive a name and you don't have any other evidence from it,” she said. €œSo you have to check this with your sources on the ground that can verify this for you.”

Poshtareh, who is watching all of this unfold from afar, says she also feels the need to speak out for her cousins and all the others like them. 

“Enough is enough,” she said. €œWe have to speak up. We have to say their names.” 

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