February 18, 2026
In several cities, clashes broke out between mourners, riot police and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while at some ceremonies, families of the dead danced and clapped their hands.
Marking the 40th day after a death, known as Chehellom, is a long-established tradition in Iran.
During the 1979 Islamic Revolution, similar ceremonies were held for protesters killed by the Shah’s security forces and army.
In recent years, this tradition has transformed into a protest strategy for organising demonstrations against Iran’s current rulers.
What stood out this time was the way people mourned. In cemeteries, some played music for the dead, while others danced beside fresh graves.
The festive mourning contrasts profoundly with the ruling establishment’s autocratic narrative of the type and form of religious mourning.
'Wounded' society
In the days leading up to the 40th day after the mass killing of protesters on 8 and 9 January, state media reported the government had decided to hold a commemoration ceremony, a sign that the killings of thousands of demonstrators couldn’t just be swept under the carpet.
Even President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed: “Our society is wounded, and if it is not treated, it will engulf the entire society.”
Official figures put the death toll at 3,117. While the number cannot be independently confirmed by Middle East Eye, the US-based human rights activist news agency Hrana said on Monday that 6,508 protesters had been killed during weeks of protests.
Despite the state itself announcing official Chehellom ceremonies, the commemorations in several cities were accompanied by a large presence of security forces at cemeteries, widespread checkpoints by Basij militias, and even clashes with mourners in Abdanan and Mashhad.
Witnesses told Middle East Eye that Behesht-e Zahra, Tehran’s main cemetery, was crowded on Tuesday. Many who came had not lost relatives but wanted to support the grieving families.
One witness said sections 322 and 323 were packed with mourners and people in black clothing.
However, alongside sobbing and silence, groups of young people played loud music on their phones and danced beside the graves.
“Next to one grave that had no tombstone yet, just a name and dates, several young people were playing happy music and dancing while crying. It felt like they had lost a close friend,” the witness said.
The witness added that at other graves, mourners clapped and sang: “This flower has blossomed and has been sacrificed for the nation.”
Another witness described a wedding car moving slowly through the cemetery. The vehicle was decorated in the usual style of wedding cars in Iran, but all the ribbons were black as a sign of mourning.
“The music was turned up loud, like at a wedding, and the driver was crying as he drove through the cemetery,” the second witness said.
After the 1979 revolution, dance and many forms of music were banned in Iran. While music restrictions have partially eased, dancing remains tightly prohibited.
When the bodies of protesters were first returned to families in January, security officials allowed funerals on the condition that no anti-establishment slogans were chanted.
In response, some mourners turned to dance as a form of protest.
Dancing at graves has roots in old tribal customs in western Iran, usually when someone died before marriage.
In the past, the practice was rare and limited to small communities. However, in recent weeks, it has taken on a new meaning.
One of the first videos of this practice to go viral emerged in January, showing the funeral of slain protester Reza Asadi.
Holding his son’s photo, Asadi’s father stood by the grave and addressed the crowd: “People! This is my Reza for the homeland!” He then began clapping and performing traditional men’s dance steps, urging others to join him.
In another video, a grieving family in northern Iran is seen inviting young people to the centre of the crowd, playing music and asking them to dance.
Sharing the video on social media, one Iranian wrote: “Dancing at the grave is not for joy. It is the last line of resistance. When death is made cheap, we dance to welcome eternity.”
Other videos have circulated over the past 40 days, including footage from the ceremonies for Surena Golgoon and Eilia Ojaghlou, both 18, who were killed in the crackdown.
Executions continue amid fears for minors
As unofficial mourning continues, executions across the country have increased.
There have been no official reports of death sentences for recent protesters, but hangings have continued.
The Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organisation reported that at least nine people were executed on Tuesday in Isfahan, Kashan, Tabriz, Qom and Neyshabur.
Hrana reported that at least 26 prisoners were hanged in 21 prisons over the weekend. Authorities said the cases involved drug crimes and murder.
Many lawyers, however, say the accused were denied access to legal representation or forced to confess under torture.
Amnesty International has previously said that Iran uses the death penalty to instil fear.
Another post-crackdown major concern is the killing and detention of children. The Iranian Teachers’ Union Coordination Council reported last week that at least 200 minors were killed during the protests.
Although officials said on Tuesday that all detained schoolchildren had been released, there was no independent confirmation of their legal status.
Forty days after the crackdown, many Iranians describe a deep sense of collective grief and helplessness.
In recent days, however, attention has shifted to a new round of talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme, which have been described by Iran’s foreign minister as “constructive”.
Holding 40th-day memorials for
killed demonstrators, people across Iran mix mourning and music as a form of
protest
On Tuesday, memorial services
were held in cities across Iran for those killed in the brutal crackdown on
nationwide anti-establishment protests.
In several cities, clashes broke out between mourners, riot police and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while at some ceremonies, families of the dead danced and clapped their hands.
Marking the 40th day after a death, known as Chehellom, is a long-established tradition in Iran.
During the 1979 Islamic Revolution, similar ceremonies were held for protesters killed by the Shah’s security forces and army.
In recent years, this tradition has transformed into a protest strategy for organising demonstrations against Iran’s current rulers.
What stood out this time was the way people mourned. In cemeteries, some played music for the dead, while others danced beside fresh graves.
The festive mourning contrasts profoundly with the ruling establishment’s autocratic narrative of the type and form of religious mourning.
'Wounded' society
In the days leading up to the 40th day after the mass killing of protesters on 8 and 9 January, state media reported the government had decided to hold a commemoration ceremony, a sign that the killings of thousands of demonstrators couldn’t just be swept under the carpet.
Even President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed: “Our society is wounded, and if it is not treated, it will engulf the entire society.”
Official figures put the death toll at 3,117. While the number cannot be independently confirmed by Middle East Eye, the US-based human rights activist news agency Hrana said on Monday that 6,508 protesters had been killed during weeks of protests.
Despite the state itself announcing official Chehellom ceremonies, the commemorations in several cities were accompanied by a large presence of security forces at cemeteries, widespread checkpoints by Basij militias, and even clashes with mourners in Abdanan and Mashhad.
Witnesses told Middle East Eye that Behesht-e Zahra, Tehran’s main cemetery, was crowded on Tuesday. Many who came had not lost relatives but wanted to support the grieving families.
One witness said sections 322 and 323 were packed with mourners and people in black clothing.
However, alongside sobbing and silence, groups of young people played loud music on their phones and danced beside the graves.
“Next to one grave that had no tombstone yet, just a name and dates, several young people were playing happy music and dancing while crying. It felt like they had lost a close friend,” the witness said.
The witness added that at other graves, mourners clapped and sang: “This flower has blossomed and has been sacrificed for the nation.”
Another witness described a wedding car moving slowly through the cemetery. The vehicle was decorated in the usual style of wedding cars in Iran, but all the ribbons were black as a sign of mourning.
“The music was turned up loud, like at a wedding, and the driver was crying as he drove through the cemetery,” the second witness said.
After the 1979 revolution, dance and many forms of music were banned in Iran. While music restrictions have partially eased, dancing remains tightly prohibited.
When the bodies of protesters were first returned to families in January, security officials allowed funerals on the condition that no anti-establishment slogans were chanted.
In response, some mourners turned to dance as a form of protest.
Dancing at graves has roots in old tribal customs in western Iran, usually when someone died before marriage.
In the past, the practice was rare and limited to small communities. However, in recent weeks, it has taken on a new meaning.
One of the first videos of this practice to go viral emerged in January, showing the funeral of slain protester Reza Asadi.
Holding his son’s photo, Asadi’s father stood by the grave and addressed the crowd: “People! This is my Reza for the homeland!” He then began clapping and performing traditional men’s dance steps, urging others to join him.
In another video, a grieving family in northern Iran is seen inviting young people to the centre of the crowd, playing music and asking them to dance.
Sharing the video on social media, one Iranian wrote: “Dancing at the grave is not for joy. It is the last line of resistance. When death is made cheap, we dance to welcome eternity.”
Other videos have circulated over the past 40 days, including footage from the ceremonies for Surena Golgoon and Eilia Ojaghlou, both 18, who were killed in the crackdown.
Executions continue amid fears for minors
As unofficial mourning continues, executions across the country have increased.
There have been no official reports of death sentences for recent protesters, but hangings have continued.
The Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organisation reported that at least nine people were executed on Tuesday in Isfahan, Kashan, Tabriz, Qom and Neyshabur.
Hrana reported that at least 26 prisoners were hanged in 21 prisons over the weekend. Authorities said the cases involved drug crimes and murder.
Many lawyers, however, say the accused were denied access to legal representation or forced to confess under torture.
Amnesty International has previously said that Iran uses the death penalty to instil fear.
Another post-crackdown major concern is the killing and detention of children. The Iranian Teachers’ Union Coordination Council reported last week that at least 200 minors were killed during the protests.
Although officials said on Tuesday that all detained schoolchildren had been released, there was no independent confirmation of their legal status.
Forty days after the crackdown, many Iranians describe a deep sense of collective grief and helplessness.
In recent days, however, attention has shifted to a new round of talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme, which have been described by Iran’s foreign minister as “constructive”.
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