The has purportedly aired at least 97 “coercive confessions” from detained protesters on state television in little more than two weeks, human rights groups indicate, as residents endure the longest recorded internet blackout.
According to a rights group tracking the videos, the footage reportedly shows handcuffed detainees with blurred faces expressing remorse for their actions since protests began on December 28.
The group noted that ominous music can be heard and edited clips depict attacks on security forces, based on reporting by The and data from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Other rights groups also assert that the confession videos are coerced and obtained under duress, with protesters “dragged before cameras under the threat of torture and execution.”
“The regime’s broadcast of so-called confessions by detained protesters is a tired, overused tactic,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the (NCRI), told Digital.
“Time and time again, the henchmen pull arrested demonstrators before cameras under the threat of torture and execution, forcing them to recant their beliefs or invent absurd stories.”
The broadcasts come amid public anger over political repression, economic collapse and alleged abuses by security forces.
Protests have spread across major cities despite mass arrests and restrictions on communication.
Safavi said the confessions serve two purposes.
“First, they are meant to justify the mass slaughter of protesters—no fewer than 3,000—which NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has called manifest crimes against humanity,” he stated.
“These forced confessions are designed to demoralize the Iranian people and stoke fear and doubt.”
But he added that any mass executions or staged confessions “won’t achieve that, because no amount of televised coercion or repression will break the .”
U.S.-based HRANA has warned that forced confessions in Iran often follow psychological or physical torture and can lead to severe consequences, including death sentences.
“These rights violations pile up and result in horrific outcomes,” , HRANA’s deputy director, told The Associated Press, noting the unprecedented scale of the broadcasts.
The confession campaign coincides with that has effectively cut the public off from independent information.
According to , Iran’s internet blackout has exceeded 144 consecutive hours, making it one of the longest disruptions ever recorded.
“The shutdown is still ongoing, making it one of the longest blackouts on record,” Isik Mater, NetBlocks’ director of research, told Digital.
“State TV continues to operate normally via satellite transmission—which doesn’t depend on the public internet—meaning households can still watch Iranian state channels even during a near-total shutdown.”
Mater explained that the blackout amplifies the impact of state propaganda because “while the public is cut off, the state relies on broadcast media and its domestic National Information Network to control what people see,” likening Iran’s information strategy to that of .
“A useful comparison is North Korea, where the vast majority of citizens have little to no access to the global internet yet state TV and radio broadcast regime propaganda 24/7,” he said.
“Information flows through closed systems like North Korea’s domestic intranet Kwangmyong, not the open internet.”
Mater added that shutdowns are highly selective, with senior officials and state institutions retaining connectivity through “whitelisted networks.”
“Senior officials and state institutions maintain access via whitelisted government networks and private links,” Mater said.
“This is why and other government officials keep posting on global social media platforms during the blackout—allowing the regime to shape the international narrative while citizens can’t document events or even respond.”