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In the three years since the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising, Iran has entered a new phase of repression—one defined not by visible court rulings or large-scale crackdowns, but by a pervasive system of unwritten, undocumented, and deliberately opaque punishments. These practices operate beneath the surface of the law, reshaping the daily lives of citizens while avoiding official scrutiny. At the same time, the state selectively permits limited cultural openings—such as easing of hijab enforcement or the granting of music permits, including for artists like Shervin Hajipour—to craft the appearance of moderated governance. This duality creates a landscape in which the boundaries of permissible expression constantly shift, and dissenters live under the pressure of uncertainty that itself constitutes a form of punishment.
Many Iranians now describe a reality in which they are considered “free” only on paper. Artists, athletes, students, journalists, and families of victims report being denied housing, rejected by employers, excluded from gyms and cultural venues, blocked from accessing basic services, or told that “the system does not allow it”—all without a single written order. These unwritten punishments are not issued by courts, cannot be appealed, and leave no official trace. Their purpose is not only to penalize but also to isolate, marginalize, and psychologically exhaust individuals. What Iranian authorities refer to as “cultural management,” citizens call punishment without crime.
The recent experience of Shervin Hajipour, the Grammy-winning singer of the protest anthem “Baraye,” reflects this dual approach. Less than two weeks before announcing that his new album “Vaghe’i” (“Real”) had received full governmental permits and entered pre-sale, Hajipour published a video describing severe informal restrictions: he was barred from gyms and performance venues, prevented from renting a home, and denied the ability to live a normal civic life. Although the government allowed his album to proceed through official channels, the informal restrictions surrounding him illustrate a system in which permissions can be granted symbolically while real-life pressures remain fully intact.
The raid on a private gathering of Iranian actors in Tehran, during which more than twenty individuals were detained and at least seven actors spent a night in custody, further demonstrates the state’s growing intrusion into private life. The Iranian Cinema Actors Guild condemned the raid as a “violation of privacy” and a “clear breach of constitutional and human rights principles.” The premature publication of names and accusations—before any judicial review—served as a reputational punishment in itself. The climate surrounding the incident was so intense that Guild president Pezhman Bazeghi resigned only hours after issuing the protest statement, highlighting the vulnerability of cultural institutions under pressure.
Similar patterns of invisible repression affect other sectors. Rapper Toomaj Salehi lives under a de facto unofficial house arrest, with threats accompanying even basic outings. Families of victims of state violence such as Kian Pirfalak, Nika Shakarami, and Pouya Bakhtiari face unofficial memorial bans, unrecorded travel restrictions, police summons without paperwork, and intimidation of relatives. Athletes including Elaheh Mansourian describe non-documented suspensions and coerced “clarification sessions.” University students involved in protests have been blocked from registration, expelled from dormitories, or transferred to distant campuses without formal disciplinary rulings. These punishments appear nowhere in legal records yet define the lives of those targeted.
The most concerning evolution is the rise of digital repression, which has become an integral component of the state’s control apparatus. Over the past two years, numerous activists, journalists, and members of mourning families have experienced sudden SIM-card shutdowns, one-way blocking of mobile service, complete loss of mobile data, and in extreme cases the unauthorized transfer of SIM ownership, effectively erasing their digital identity. Because SIM cards serve as the primary authentication tool for banking, government portals, and essential services, cutting a person’s mobile line is equivalent to digitally disabling their citizenship. These measures are executed without warrants, explanations, or transparent oversight.
While Iranian officials allow limited cultural openness, such as reduced visible enforcement of hijab regulations in some districts or the revival of certain cultural festivals, the state continues to sharply dictate what steps – and by whom – are out of bounds. Freedoms appear to be selectively tolerated, while repression is targeted, informal, and unaccountable. A person aligned with the state may experience comparable leniency, whereas a person viewed as politically expressive may face a labyrinth of invisible restrictions that close many doors in their life.
From a human-rights perspective, this architecture of repression is most alarming precisely because its most consequential punishments are never written down. Without formal documentation, judicial process becomes irrelevant, oversight bodies cannot intervene, and domestic and international human-rights organizations struggle to track violations. The system thrives on ambiguity, creating a climate in which fear and uncertainty silence more effectively than overt force.
These patterns constitute serious and systematic violations of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, privacy, movement, association, and access to information. NIAC calls on the Iranian government to end the practice of unwritten punishments, halt digital repression, cease harassment of artists, journalists, and private citizens, and ensure that no individual is deprived of rights without due process. The Iranian people deserve transparent governance, legal protections, and a civic environment free from intimidation. No society can build trust, stability, or legitimacy when its citizens are controlled by invisible restrictions that have no legal basis and no avenue for challenge. The Iranian government must immediately take steps to dismantle this shadow system of repression and restore the basic rights owed to every citizen.
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