Mourning Iranians Charged 'Bullet Fee'

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Amidst the demonstrations over the recent Iranian presidential election, one family in Tehran is mourning the loss of their 19-year-old son. Details remain unclear, but the family believes that Kaveh Alipour was caught in gun crossfire. The family was struck with another blow, though, when they were told that they would have to pay a "bullet fee" to claim their son.

The Wall Street Journal writes that "Upon learning of his son's death, the elder Mr. Alipour was told the family had to pay an equivalent of $3,000 as a "bullet fee"— a fee for the bullet used by security forces—before taking the body back, relatives said."

The family says that he was not part of the demonstrations and was not politically active.

The family did not have the $3,000 to pay the officials, but were able to talk morgue officials into waiving the fee provided they did not hold a funeral or burial in Tehran. Kaveh Alipour's body was taken to another city where there is family.

At least 17 have been killed in the protests in the last week. On Monday riot police attacked hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to disperse a rally in central Tehran.

The news of one woman's death , now identified as Neda Agha Soltan , has has spread worldwide and become a symbol and icon for the demonstrators.