In a land where the prison walls rise higher than the voice of truth, silence can be deadlier than torture. Every year, dozens of citizens in deprived regions—particularly in provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, and others—are arrested on security-related charges without a single mention of their names in the media. These individuals, often referred to as “nameless prisoners,” suffer the gravest harm at the hands of the Islamic Republic’s opaque security apparatus.

This article discusses the critical importance of families speaking out and of making arrests public—a matter not only of moral and human rights necessity but also a crucial tool for reducing security pressures and protecting the lives and well-being of detainees.

A “nameless prisoner” is someone who has been arrested, yet no media outlet reports their detention, no family or organization speaks about them, and no mention is made of their name as someone at risk of an unjust sentence. In a system where labeling a case as “a national security matter” becomes a pretext for erasing people from public visibility, silence becomes an accomplice to the torturers.

The absence of information and the lack of public pressure grant security forces a free hand to commit all sorts of abuses, including beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, violent interrogations, and baseless legal framing. In such conditions, a detainee is tortured not just through interrogation but also through isolation from the world, through being forgotten, and through a deadly silence.

In many cases, families—out of fear, intimidation, or a lack of knowledge about media mechanisms—refrain from publicizing the arrest of their loved ones. In some instances, security agencies directly pressure families into silence, promising that “if you keep quiet, we’ll release them sooner.” But the reality is often the opposite. Silence does not lead to freedom; rather, it blocks all paths of advocacy.

In provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan, it has also been observed that certain influential figures or local elders give families false hope with promises like “we’ll fix it,” “we have connections in the judiciary,” or “we’ll pay to get them released.” These individuals, after accepting hefty sums or bribes and gifts, dissuade families from going public and urge them to remain patient. In many of these cases, even as execution orders are issued or detainees are transferred for sentencing, the refrain remains, “The case is being resolved,” while in reality, no action is being taken to save the arrested person.

Families that courageously make even minimal efforts to publicize the detention of their loved ones effectively create a protective layer around them. Experience has shown that publicizing arrests often prevents extreme and arbitrary security behavior and makes the legal process more transparent and somewhat more lawful.

Media play a vital role in keeping the names and fates of prisoners alive. Independent human rights media—especially those focused on marginalized regions—must stand with families. Timely reporting of arrests, updates on the detainee’s condition, consistent coverage, and raising the visibility of cases can increase domestic and international public pressure.

In many cases, publicizing an arrest has not only softened the state’s response but also led to faster legal proceedings, access to legal counsel, issuance of bail, or even conditional release. Additionally, making a case public places the security apparatus in a position where it can no longer manage the case in silence or exert pressure unchecked. Any further illegal actions will again be met with media coverage—forcing greater caution on the part of the authorities.

Silence is precisely what the Islamic Republic desires. In the darkness of silence, it can do anything it pleases, without accountability. Silence is not only an obstacle to justice—it is a tool for entrenching oppression. The security apparatus holds absolute power only when no voice stands against it. They do not break silence—they manufacture it. Nighttime arrests, transfers to unknown locations, pressure on families—all are tactics used to construct this silence.

In many cases, when a detainee is finally allowed their first call to family, they are forbidden from revealing where they are being held. This concealment is part of the regime’s enforced silence policy, keeping families in the dark and preventing them from pursuing information or demanding transparency in the legal process.

Put simply, publicizing arrests saves lives. When a name appears in the media, when international organizations receive reports, when protest campaigns are launched, when society becomes aware of a prisoner’s situation and reacts, the security apparatus can no longer act with impunity toward the detainee.

A nameless prisoner is alone—facing the security system, the intelligence judge, the interrogator, and solitary confinement. Behind them, the voices of family, media, and civil society must rise. We must act consciously and responsibly to fulfill our duty of informing the public.

With every moment that families and advocacy groups remain silent, a blow is struck against the body of the nameless prisoner. That silence paves the way for physical and psychological torture. Silence is what enables forced confessions, unjust rulings, and even execution. Regret after silence serves no purpose. By then, the prisoner may have already been executed or sentenced to exile and heavy punishment. Silence is a regret that cannot be undone.