Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeNEWSIRAN NEWSIranian officials terrified from public outrage at forced confessions

Iranian officials terrified from public outrage at forced confessions

Reporting by PMOI/MEK

Iran, December 11, 2019—“Instead of broadcasting [forced] confessions, present undeniable documents to the public,” an Iranian state-run newspaper warned on Tuesday.  

The Tabnak daily, which was reflecting the views of Iranian regime parliament member Mahmoud Sadeghi, wrote, “We’ve drafted a bill to ban the broadcasting of radio and television confessions. Even though the bill is still waiting its turn to be examined and hasn’t been ratified, the current regulations don’t allow the broadcasting of such confessions… Instead of broadcasting the confessions of individuals, it is necessary to inform the public of undeniable documents… [officials] must take note of this important consideration that, in the days that the feelings of citizens and the society is hurt, they should not further pain the people by associating protesters with foreign states and influence.” 

Sadeghi’s remarks come on the heel of public outrage at the regime’s efforts to intimidate the public through the broadcasting of forced confessions from protesters arrested during the November uprisings. During the protests that followed the implementation of the regime’s plan to increase the price of gasoline, security forces killed more than 1,000 protesters and arrested 12,000 others. 

Regime officials made various claims to pretend they have control over the situation. One of the measures they used, which also happens to be an old tactic of the regime, was to broadcast confessions from prisoners, which had been extracted under severe torture. The regime’s officials also claimed to have arrested the leaders of the demonstrations to further create an environment of fear among the Iranian people.

But the recent weeks have proven to regime officials that their old tactics have lost their flair and functionality, because their savagery has not been able to shut down the flame of the uprisings.

On December 3, Sadeghi had warned again that the broadcasting of forced confessions will only exacerbate public resent. His warning was in response to remarks by interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, who had recommended to broadcast these forced confessions on state TV.  

Sadeghi also admitted to the futility of the practice, saying that the people who are brought to television usually reject their own confessions after their release from prison. 

In another manifestation of rivalries and power struggle between difference regime factions, Sadeghi lamented the fact that the Majlis (parliament) was not involved in the discussions regarding the increase of fuel prices. “We didn’t even allow the MPs to pose questions, and this caused the society to be in the dark and confusion,” he said. 

Interestingly, following the declaration of the fuel price hike, Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, clearly stated that the decision was jointly made by the heads of the three branches (executive, legislative and judiciary) and that he had given his full blessing for the government to proceed move. 

But as protests erupted across the country and the people’s outrage at the regime’s corruption became evident, different officials starting distancing themselves from the fuel price hike by either claiming they didn’t know about it or by expressing their opposition to it. Among these officials was regime president Hassan Rouhani, who outrageously claimed to have “learned about the price hike on the day it became effective.” 

On issue of forced confessions, Sadeghi warned that, given the current explosive state of the society, this tactic will no longer serve the regime’s interest, saying, “Actions such as broadcasting forced confessions will only deepen the public resent, like embers that will flare up again when you stir the ashes.” 

RELATED ARTICLES

Selected

fd88217f-1f1b-4525-92f8-1ec00c750fc9_330
PMOI-MEk1-1

Latest News and Articles

No feed found with the ID 1. Go to the All Feeds page and select an ID from an existing feed.