Exclusive; Demonizing Opponents; The Islamic Republic's Efforts to Discredit Protesters and Opponents

Following the issuance of orders for 'referral to mental health centers' for several opponents, artistic and political activists, a number of former prisoners who had been hospitalized in psychiatric wards for a period attended a special program titled 'Demonizing Opponents' on Voice of America, interpreting this action as part of the 'discrediting of opponents.' Kianoush Sanjari, a journalist opposed to the regime and a former prisoner, stated in this program that the day he was transferred from prison to the 'Razi' or 'Aminabad' psychiatric hospital in Tehran was one of the 'saddest' days of his activist life. He described the Islamic Republic's use of the label 'mentally ill' as a method of repression similar to that of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, adding: 'The government wants to tell the people that its opponents lack proper understanding and intelligence, and with this inhumane and unethical method, it seeks to discredit the oppression and dictatorship against opponents, but with society's awareness of these behaviors of the regime, it will certainly fail in this goal.' Leila Mirghafari, a civil activist and former prisoner, also spoke about her time in the psychiatric hospital in Tehran during the special program 'Demonizing Opponents,' stating: 'Shortly after my arrest, under the pretext of treating the effects of beatings, I was taken to a psychiatric hospital where I was subjected to the most severe psychological and physical torture, to the extent that even the psychiatric patients hospitalized there sympathized with me and helped alleviate my pain.' She added: 'The experiences of my days in the psychiatric center severely impacted my mental and even physical health, the effects of which are still evident in my life and my family's.' Payam Darvishan, a lawyer and human rights activist who was arrested under the pretext of taking on the cases of several political activists, including the case of Kavous Seyed Emami, a deceased environmental activist in Evin prison, spoke about his experience of being transferred to a psychiatric hospital, stating: 'My crime as a lawyer was defending the rights of the people, and for this reason, I was retaliated against.' He added: 'After I responded to a fabricated film by state television about Kavous Seyed Emami and published my images and evidence of his innocence in the media, I was arrested and sent to Evin prison, and a week later, in complete health, I was transferred to a psychiatric hospital where I was injected with needles and given countless pills, leading to memory disruption and other problems.' This lawyer quoted Behnam Mohajobi, who lost his life after being hospitalized in a psychiatric center in Tehran and then transferred to Evin prison, stating: 'I also witnessed the 'decline of humanity' in the psychiatric hospital in Tehran.'