Iran issues ultimatum to prisoners' families: Join state rallies or face consequences

Iranian authorities are coercing the families of detained protesters into participating in pro-government rallies, threatening that their imprisoned relatives will face consequences if they do not comply, human rights organizations said.

The pressure campaign comes ahead of Wednesday’s 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Bazdasht Shodegan, a group representing former Iranian prisoners, reported that the Revolutionary Guard and the Ministry of Intelligence have contacted families to present what the group called an "inhumane dilemma."

Officials are reportedly demanding that families join the anniversary marches and record videos proving their loyalty to the state. In exchange, authorities have suggested their relatives could receive reduced sentences or be released from custody.

More than 12,000 Iranians were arrested during a wave of anti-government protests in early January. Many of those detainees currently face the threat of long-term imprisonment or the death penalty.

In one recent case, businessman Mohamed Saedinia, who was arrested for supporting labor strikes, issued a public apology. He has reportedly committed to participating in the upcoming government demonstrations.

Tehran’s strategy of coercing participation in state-sponsored public events represents far more than simple forced attendance; it is a calculated and sophisticated campaign of psychological warfare. By compelling families to perform public displays of loyalty toward the very regime that has imprisoned their loved ones, the Iranian government is pursuing a multi-pronged tactical objective.

First, these orchestrated displays manufacture a facade of broad popular legitimacy intended to shore up the domestic base and deflect international diplomatic pressure. Second, and perhaps more critically, the tactic is designed to fracture the opposition. Images of the parents of political prisoners marching in support of the state serve as a potent blow to the morale of the resistance, fostering a sense of futility and seeding distrust within dissident circles.

The modernization of these intimidation tactics—specifically the requirement that participants record their attendance and submit footage to security services—effectively weaponizes the victims themselves, transforming them into digital propaganda assets. The case of businessman Mohamed Saedinia demonstrates that this dragnet is not limited to grassroots activists, but targets influential figures to maximize the chilling effect across all strata of society.

Ultimately, this reliance on the manipulation of the most private familial bonds suggests a regime that has moved beyond traditional governance. It signals a deep-seated insecurity regarding its own authority following recent waves of domestic unrest, shifting its reliance from institutional legitimacy to a doctrine of fear and psychological coercion.

Reports of the Iranian government pressuring families to maintain political control strike a painful chord within the Vietnamese-American community. The tactic of using relatives as leverage—holding them hostage to silence dissent—is a trauma many families in Little Saigon and across the diaspora remember vividly from their own history in Vietnam. Whether it was the anxiety of securing F2B visas for those left behind or the delicate balance of sending remittances back home while under state surveillance, the Vietnamese experience with political coercion mirrors the current plight of the Iranian people. This shared history of sacrifice and state-sponsored intimidation fosters a deep, personal sense of empathy for the Iranian struggle.