Released prisoners forced to interview praising Supreme Leader

Pressure mounts on released prisoners to conduct interviews praising Supreme Leader
Jaras: Many of those released from prison in recent months are informed that they are to be summoned to Evin prison to hold interviews in the prison environment.

According to Jaras, interrogators contact their prisoners and compel them to conduct the interviews. Prisoners include both those who have been given a ruling and those who have not.
Jaras further reports that the entire interview script is given to the prisoners, and the prisoners are expected to read the script. The content of the script is intended to pledge support to the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader.

The prisoners are also threatened that if they do not conduct the interviews, they will be arrested and imprisoned during Nowruz (Iranian New Year), their files will be sent for further reviews, and/or their court sentence will increased.

Jaras in Tehran further reports: The Haei newspaper, which is largely a reformist paper, has been contacted and compelled to publish the interviews. In a recent development, prisoners are escorted to Iranian Labour News Agency to give reports immediately after their release. This has been done with Iranian Student News Agency in the past.

Prisoners are contacted days or months after being released to conduct the interviews, and the interview scripts are sent in writing by the officials to the newspapers for print.

Jaras adds that to counter the resistance to publish the forced interviews by newspaper staff, the heads of the news agencies are threatened to either publish or resign.

One of the prisoners that was summoned by an interrogator told Jaras that there is no difference between home and prison for them, the whole country has turned into a big prison. Even when freed and not engaging in any activities, interrogators continue to pressure us to conduct an interview and praise the Supreme Leader.

Translation by: Ramin J. Persian2English.com