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Reza Alijani

Do you think why the security-judicial system in Iran has always been opposed to defining political crimes and even when it is written without any evidence or basis, they still strongly defend against it?

The answer to my speculation is a problem: They are against the inherent dignity of human beings. In two senses.

Apart from necessities and “interests”, power is free to deal with opponents in any way it wants, but the intellectual foundation (and perhaps cover) of this security-judicial system is based on a jurisprudential (and of course the most strict interpretation of it, as well as the most Machiavellian understanding of power that deems any action as permissible and lawful), is firm. A jurisprudence and law in which firstly, human beings have no inherent dignity and nobility, and secondly, in line with this foundation, those who stand against the “rightful government” derived from religion, jurisprudence, and the rule of the jurist, not only have no rights and should not be given any political concessions or privileges, but on the contrary, they are worse than ordinary suspects and should face harsher punishments. An ordinary suspect has only committed a violation in their private sphere or in a limited area, but a political suspect against a government based on

In the 1960s, Mohammad Gilani used to say that whoever stands against the Islamic Republic is standing against one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets of God! Standing against one prophet is already a serious matter, let alone one hundred and twenty-four thousand, for which the punishment must be severe and not merciful. He must be dealt with harshly and not with compassion.

The second meaning of human dignity, which is opposed by the security apparatus, is evident in the fact that security forces and interrogators consider themselves above the “law”. You should define the best law for political crimes and give the most discounts to those who claim to have committed crimes out of noble motives. Who would even pay attention to your law? There have been many cases where officers have shown their weapons when arresting a political suspect who has requested a legal arrest warrant. It is also well known that during interrogations and the formation of cases against political defendants, interrogators consider themselves absolute and can keep the defendant in solitary confinement and do whatever they want with their case, and ultimately the judge follows their orders. What kind of law is this?

However, disrespect and disregard for the law leads back to the same issue of not recognizing the dignity of human beings. Just as a person without belief has no dignity and anyone who stands against their beliefs and rights is considered an enemy and must face severe punishment, the “people” as a collective also have the same ruling. Their votes, for example, which the law should be based on and be prepared and approved by their “representatives”, are also based on a weak foundation. The people’s votes and will have no legitimacy and even a president elected by them has no legitimacy until it is implemented by the Supreme Leader. Those who have more courage and boldness clearly state that democracy and majority rule are Western concepts and have no legitimacy. The law must also, on the surface, be derived from this majority rule. Disregard for the law is another form of disbelief and disrespect for the dignity of the majority of people.

In this category of political systems, the relationship between security forces and critics and opponents of the system is defined not only based on fairness and integrity, but also based on anger and hatred. A political opponent is seen as an enemy of God, the Prophet, and religious laws. They are no longer just a regular criminal who can be a victim of society and even receive mercy and compassion. Instead, they are considered rebellious and “evil” for opposing the rightful government. Therefore, the interrogator sees the accused not as a subject to be proven guilty and have a case built against them to be sent to court, but as an evil and wicked person with a demonic nature. They are seen as a subject and impure and hated creature who not only needs to be cleared of information, but also needs to be punished as a lesson for themselves and others. This is where suspicion, doubt, anger, and hatred take the lead.

Furthermore, in the political arena, we have witnessed numerous times that extremist forces and pressure groups, despite being in the minority in gatherings and speeches, have had a high level of confidence and considered themselves to be on the side of truth and the majority, including the speakers, and have aggressively questioned why they remain silent and submissive towards the ruling authority and government.

Add the pressures of emotional, stress, and anxiety caused by self-righteousness and being in the minority, under the mental and emotional pressure of the majority, and see what concoction is created.

But this potion is still missing one ingredient: conspiracy!

Next to this indifference towards human dignity, apart from the belief in religion and law derived from it, and also the inherent opposition to the majority’s decision due to the definition of social rights and rights outside of public decision-making, will also require a political analytical system to be considered in order to complete the mixture of hatred and violence. The analytical system of conspiracy/enemy-centeredness is familiar to everyone. All problems are caused by the enemy. An enemy that is constantly infiltrating, overthrowing, and legally subverting! And soft conspiracies and other malicious acts. Therefore, every critic and opponent is also an element that is unintentionally or intentionally an agent and infiltrator of the enemy and its spy networks.

The conditions are ripe for all the ingredients of pessimism, hatred, and revenge towards the accused (and then prisoner) political figure. What remains is to examine how to deal with such a suspicious, evil, and wicked being who is advancing the enemy’s complex plans and intends to overthrow the rightful system (and of course, in the perception of some others, intends to cut off the abundant benefits that we have in preserving this divine system!)

The examination of methods for dealing with political and ideological suspects is a testament to independence. Various methods that have previously been tested in the so-called Eastern Bloc and have been the subject of various novels and films. And of course, the loyal interrogators have also added many experiences to them!

A common practice in dealing with political suspects in such systems is to enter their private sphere. Essentially, totalitarian systems (or those with strong totalitarian elements) have the characteristic of not only dealing with their opponents, but also with all people (the same story of lifestyle); and in the same way, they not only focus on the political sphere of their opponents, but also on all aspects of their lives. Now, when hatred and the desire for punishment exist in a security system and its elements are at the highest level, not only does he want to extract information from his suspect and file a legal case against him, but he also wants to punish him, and among his feelings of hatred and revenge, he leads him towards humiliation, belittlement, and destroying the character of his suspect.

Every defendant is not just an individual, but also a thought and a movement. They must be examined both individually and in terms of their thoughts and movements. These three subjects lead the interrogator towards delving into the private realm, and even the depths of the subject’s mind, their inner conflicts, past, family, and close relatives.

In such a situation and circumstances, the story of human rights and the separation of different aspects of a suspect’s life from each other, and even moral and religious teachings such as non-intrusion, turning a blind eye, and not disclosing secrets and issues of this nature, is like a tale of a deaf ear and the chapter of Yasin. And the situation is even more dire and serious than discussing “chic” and the fantasy of human, moral, and religious rights (even traditional) about the importance of preserving human life, property, honor, and dignity. Or the words of Ali, addressing one of his governors (Malik al-Ashtar), reminding him that people are either brothers in religion or equal in creation, and this means human dignity. Unfortunately, human dignity in this regard is nothing but a weak and suspicious word.

The final point is that, to this bitter elegy, we must add the antidote of poison and, of course, another dose of hatred: the religious permission to slander and destroy opponents and to pour water on them, and in a more modern interpretation, psychological warfare!

This matter, which has a trace in traditional jurisprudence (which, of course, was previously less considered, except in sectarian wars, and now is also subject to criticism, denial, and objection by many of those traditional clerics and seminary reformists); before the revolution, it was used by Mr. Khomeini against the clerics who were thought to have ties to the previous regime, and after the revolution, it was used against all opponents! From Ayatollah Shariatmadari to the national, religious, leftist, reformist forces, and others.

When a suspect is suspected of being an infiltrator, he stands against the system of justice and law and sometimes succeeds in deceiving the people in elections and gaining the majority vote. We have the right to seek revenge and punishment against him, to chain his body and soul, and even to stain his dignity and honor with lies and false accusations. And when his body, life, and soul are in our hands, what privacy does he have that we should not invade? Especially when we can also accuse him with lies and deceit, destroy him with false accusations, and take away his honor. Now there is one devilish and certainly despicable trick left, and that is for him to confess to all of this himself! We believe him more and also spend money on ourselves (and sometimes on supporters and protesters in higher levels of power) and also damage our own reputation by accusing ourselves. It will take a long time to rebuild it.

Admitting to political and espionage crimes, as well as accepting money and collaborating with foreigners, is not enough. It also requires destroying culture, minds, and language, and being contaminated with thousands of suppressed political, intellectual, and class-based issues, including gender. These confessions should also be considered as so-called “moral” issues. How degraded and insignificant has this word become, that when it is mentioned by rulers in the political and advertising culture, the first thing that comes to mind is sexual and gender issues. The accused “also has a moral issue”; they have admitted it themselves!

This is the peak of the fall of human dignity in this system of nobility. A fall in which their interrogators, commanders, supporters, and teachers have fallen to the bottom of it; when they forcefully throw a suspect into it, believing that they are doing the right thing. The awareness, humanity, and inherent dignity of humans and the current Iranian society do not sympathize with those who have been severely pressured to “confess”, and they look at those who commit these dishonorable acts with contempt and disgust. This in itself is a reclaiming and growth of human “dignity” in the struggle for freedom and justice against oppression and discrimination, and dignity and nobility against moral corruption and criminality.