Why no court should rely on forced confessions/Hermineh Hourdad

Forced confession is one of the most well-known tools of human rights abuse in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. In such regimes, confession is used not only as evidence to prove a crime, but also as a means to legitimize government actions, create public fear, discredit opponents, and shape the official narrative of events. Historical experience […]...

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Narrative Creation in the Communication Void/Sina Yousefi

The recent protests in Iran, accompanied by widespread, violent and unprecedented repression, have once again exposed the established patterns of human rights violations by the government. Along with the killing of protesters, mass arrests and the imposition of severe security restrictions, the broadcast of forced confessions by state media has become a central tool for […]...

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“Compulsory confessions, a weapon for all seasons of oppression / Ali Afshari”

Forcing political and civil activists to confess to actions they did not commit within the framework of security scenario or repent and express regret for their beliefs and convictions prior to their arrest is one of the oldest tactics of the Islamic Republic of Iran; in fact, it is considered a counterpart to it. During […]...

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