Iran security forces and state media cover up protester's death - source

Iranian security forces are working with state media to claim falsely that a killed protester was a loyalist Basij militiaman, BBC Persian has found.

Milad Ostad-Hashem, 37, was shot in the back with a live round in Tehran on 25 September, his death certificate says.

His family alleged that security forces fired it, a close source told the BBC.

However, security officials pressured them to go along with state media reports that he was a Basij member killed by "rioters", the source added.

"Security forces threatened to kill their [Milad's parents] two other sons and bury Milad's body secretly in a remote place if they did not co-operate," the source said. read more