Iranians killed in recent protests that rocked the country have been laid to rest in boisterous funerals featuring loud pop music and dancing, apparently intended to convey defiance to the ruling Islamic regime.

Instead of holding sombre traditional mourning ceremonies presided over by a Shia cleric, bereaved relatives are turning the burials into exultant celebrations of the lives of their loved ones in what analysts say is an intentional snub to the culture of piety demanded by Iran’s theocracy.

Many funerals have reportedly been staged only after relatives were forced to pay large sums to retrieve the bodies from official morgues. There have been reports of bodies only being released after relatives sign statements saying that the deceased belonged to the Basij, a pro-regime militia, a tactic designed to bolster the authorities’ designation of protesters as “terrorists” who attacked security forces and to raise the reported number of casualties on the regime’s side.

Some projections have estimated that 30,000 were killed in the demonstrations that broke out in late December and spread across the country. Other estimates have suggested even higher numbers.

Iranian sociologists say the mood of the resulting funerals carries a message of rebellion in the face of the lethal crackdown.