False Display of Freedom and Bloody Reality of Repression

The false display of freedom in the media stands in complete contradiction with the bloody reality of suppressing people on streets and at checkpoints.

What is happening in Iran these days is no longer a simple contradiction, but rather an apparent and organized duality; a calculated show designed to deceive public opinion abroad while implementing ruthless repression at home.

While government-affiliated media publish images of women without headscarves or with different types of clothing to suggest there are no restrictions, the reality on the streets is different. At checkpoints, the same government violently stops and humiliates people for their clothing, mobile phones, and even simple protest, using threats and intimidation.

This contradiction becomes even more blatant when at government-organized gatherings, with music playing and even performances with the atmosphere of Lebanese concerts, attempts are made to portray a free and problem-free image of the social situation. However, those who attend these ceremonies are mostly from circles loyal to the authorities; a controlled scene designed to send a false message: “There is no problem.” Behind this stage-setting, though, a reality unfolds that is written in blood and fear.

In recent days, reports have been released about citizens being killed at checkpoints. One case involves a young person who was killed by direct gunfire. In another incident, a young man suffered a heart attack following a confrontation with officers at a checkpoint and the use of a stun gun, and died on the spot. The families of these victims not only lack access to justice, but have been subjected to pressure and threats to remain silent.

The checkpoints that have been extensively set up across various cities have effectively become tools of public intimidation; arbitrary stops, mobile phone searches, humiliating reminders about hijab, and violent confrontations are part of citizens’ daily experience.

In this context, the presence of forces affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is only part of the story. Reports show that proxy forces from regional countries, including Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, have also been added to this cycle of repression; a presence that has further intensified the sense of insecurity and occupation for the people.

Even simple citizens’ complaints do not go unanswered. In one case, a family that merely requested the removal of disruptive forces from outside their home due to their father’s cardiac and cerebral emergency while hospitalized at home faced serious accusations, threats, and violence. These encounters did not end there and escalated to another level of intimidation when masked forces attacked the family members’ residence.

This cycle of repression has repeated for years: “Show for the outside, pressure from within. Imagery of freedom alongside the reality of control and violence.”

Yet what is most questionable is the silence or indifference of the international community in the face of this obvious contradiction. A world that sees these images, hears these accounts, but in many cases fails to respond appropriately.

Reality cannot remain hidden forever. This gap between image and truth has become so deep that it can no longer be concealed even by the most extensive propaganda machinery. What remains are people who, every day, pay the price of this lie with their security, dignity, and even their lives.