Rights groups urge EU to sanction Iranian TV for airing prisoners’ confessions
January 31, 2020, 12:29 pm

Rights groups urge EU to sanction Iranian TV for airing prisoners’ confessions

IRIB reporters Ameneh Sadat-Zabihpour and Ali Rezvani, who human rights groups say should be sanctioned for their roles in the interrogations. (Twitter)

Human rights groups have called on the European Union Council to impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for airing forced confessions of political prisoners over the years. 

At least 355 people have been forced to confess that they instigated protests or operated on orders from foreign intelligence services on state TV following protests after Iran’s controversial 2009 presidential elections, according to the London-based human rights organization “Justice for Iran.” 

There have also been at least 22 cases of forced televised confessions on Iranian state TV since the November 2019 anti-government protests, according to the rights groups’ joint letter to the EU Council.

There is a “real risk” that those who were arrested in the aftermath of the shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner on January 8 by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will also be forced to confess in front of the camera, the letter’s 13 signatories said.

Iran said it arrested the person who filmed the footage showing the Ukrainian airliner being shot down by a missile. Security forces also arrested dozens in the protests that followed Iran’s admission to downing flight PS752.

The rights groups are concerned that the content of the forced confessions will be used to give detainees harsher sentences, including the death penalty. The fate of those who confess on TV usually remains unknown.

The signatories of the letter have also requested three IRIB officials and four IRIB reporters be sanctioned – including Ameneh Sadat-Zabihpour and Ali Rezvani – for their roles in extracting and broadcasting forced confessions. 

Sadat-Zabihpour and Rezvani have both previously been accused of being involved in interrogating detainees. 

Labor rights activist Sepideh Gholian revealed in December 2019 that Sadat-Zabihpour was present during her interrogations.

Gholian said that “after hours of physical and psychological torture,” Sadat-Zabihpour presented her and other labor rights activists with a pre-prepared text for them to read in front of the camera as “confessions.”

Rezvani was also accused of being involved in interrogating activists and their families.

Ramin Seyed Emami, son of Kavous Seyed Emami, an Iranian-Canadian environmental activist and university professor who was arrested in 2018 and later died under suspicious circumstances in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, had said that Rezvani had been at his parents’ house along with a group of agents from the IRGC intelligence service.

Emami said that his mother had to be taken to the hospital following her interrogation with Rezvani.

source: Yaghoub Fazeli

UN agency declares global emergency over virus from China Beirut Airport again raises currency conversion rate

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.