Monday's clip evoked chilling reminders of the televised confessions of opponents to the Islamic regime aired during the first years of the 1979 revolution. The confessions, which decreased during the late 1990s under the presidency of reformist Mohammad Khatami, rarely convinced viewers of their authenticity but struck fear in the hearts of those inclined to oppose the government.
"It is clear that any confession of a person while in jail is not socially and politically valid," said Mohammed Hussein Aghasi, a lawyer for Iranian American journalist Parnaz Azima, who has also run afoul of Iran's security services. "The person who confesses anything should be free and free from all kinds of pressure. The Iranian society is aware that these sort of worn-out confessions are not true."
