Iran’s Islamic regime is forcing protest participants captured by military forces to publicly assume, in state television broadcasts, responsibility for crimes they did not commit, according to complaints from human rights organizations and international press reports.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), At least 240 so-called “forced confessions” have been shown on Iranian state TV in recent weeks, an unprecedented number. According to the entity, thousands of people have already been arrested since the beginning of the ongoing demonstrations against the theocratic regime, and some of those detained began to be used in videos presented by the Islamic dictatorship as “proof” of involvement in criminal acts.
According to a broadcast report France 24the videos show men and young people with their faces blurred, under dramatic music, claiming to have made “mistakes” or participated in violent actions. In several cases, detainees appear to admit alleged crimes such as attacking security forces, receiving money from opponents of the regime or maintaining contact with groups considered “enemies of the Iranian state”.
Activists interviewed by human rights organizations claim that these statements are being obtained under physical and psychological torture. According to Amnesty International, there are reports that Iranian regime authorities force prisoners to sign documents they were unable to read and record “confessions” relating to non-existent crimes or peaceful acts of dissent. The entity classified the recordings as propaganda videos.
Iranian authorities attribute the ongoing protests in the country to external enemies, such as the United States and Israel, an accusation that is rejected by human rights organizations.
Experts consulted by the agency AFP claim that the use of televised confessions is a recurring practice by the Iranian regime to intimidate society. Such displays serve to legitimize repression, discourage new demonstrations and prepare the ground for harsh sentences, including death sentences, based on statements obtained under coercion.
