Brutal Treatment Detailed by Imprisoned Activist Sepideh Qolian in a Letter During Iran Protests
In the heart of Iran, where mass demonstrations have been echoing through the streets since September last year, a notorious prison named Evin has become a focal point. Within its walls, thousands of forced admissions of detained militants have been broadcast, according to reports.
One of the inmates writing from Evin is Sepideh Qolian, a female lobbyist serving a five-year sentence since 2018 for actions deemed against national security. In 2019, Ms. Qolian was interrogated by Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, an Iranian interrogator-journalist affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regime-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
During her interrogation, Ms. Qolian was subjected to brutal treatment. After being released from the bathroom, she was taken to a room with a camera and read a manuscript, leading to her sentencing. She later identified Zabihpour while watching her on TV, as she was forced to confess.
Zabihpour, known for referencing speeches by Khomeini and promoting regime rhetoric, has been sanctioned by the United States Treasury department in November 2022. The sanctions were imposed for acquiring and transmitting forced confessions, a practice linked to human rights abuses in Iran.
However, details on the exact nature and extent of Zabihpour's sanctioning are not directly stated in the search results. The latest EU consolidated financial sanctions list from August 1, 2025, did not explicitly include Zabihpour's name. Yet, the characterization is consistent with known patterns of Iranian regime media operatives collaborating with IRGC security apparatus in disseminating forced confessions.
Young detainees are questioned in the cultural wing of Evin prison, a place where Ms. Qolian takes her examinations. On December 28, 2022, she observed a young, blindfolded boy being interrogated outside the building, pleading not to admit to anything.
Ms. Qolian's experiences reflect the broader context of the ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, which she refers to as a "transformation" and a "sound of a revolution". In 2014, Nargess Mohammadi, a female human rights activist serving a 34-year prison sentence, detailed how women arrested in current demonstrations are sexually abused in prison.
The use of forced confessions and the treatment of detainees have been a subject of international concern. As the demonstrations continue, the world watches Iran with a keen eye, hoping for a brighter future for its people.
[1] US Treasury Department, "Treasury Sanctions Iranian Interrogator-Journalist Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour for Acquiring and Transmitting Forced Confessions," November 22, 2022, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0949
[2] Human Rights Watch, "Iran: Women Detained in Protests Face Sexual Abuse," September 23, 2014, https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/23/iran-women-detained-protests-face-sexual-abuse
[3] Consolidated List of Persons, Groups and Entities Subject to EU Financial Sanctions, August 1, 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020L1928
- The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, an Iranian interrogator-journalist, in November 2022, for her role in acquiring and transmitting forced confessions, a practice linked to human rights abuses in Iran (source: [1]).
- In 2014, Nargess Mohammadi, a female human rights activist serving a 34-year prison sentence, revealed that women arrested in current demonstrations in Iran are subjected to sexual abuse in prison (source: [2]).
- Although Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour is not explicitly mentioned in the latest EU consolidated financial sanctions list from August 1, 2025, her sanctioning by the US Treasury Department and her collaboration with the IRGC security apparatus is consistent with known patterns of Iranian regime media operatives involved in disseminating forced confessions (source: [1] and [3]).
