The IDC and WongDoody Shed Light on the Horrendous Abuses of the Iranian Regime

The Iranian Diaspora Collective (IDC) and global creative agency WongDoody launch ‘The Iran Prison Project’. By creating an interpretation of Evin Prison in the metaverse, this interactive experience sheds light on testimonies from former political prisoners and dissidents that reflect the horrendous abuses of the Iranian Regime.  

Built as a web-accessible 3D environment populated with the real-life testimonies of those held captive, the Iran Prison Project features real-life testimony of political prisoners - many of whom are women, artists, journalists, students, LGBTQ people, and even children. 

Prisoners face psychological and physical torture, rape, and even execution. They are often held without due legal process and on bogus charges. People have been arrested for ordinary acts of everyday life that are deemed illegal under the totalitarian regime’s interpretation of Islamic law – for example dancing or singing in public, showing hair, or expressing any dissent. Evin Prison in Tehran holds over 15,000 people, mostly political prisoners who have spoken out against the regime over the past 44 years.

The goal of the project is to bring awareness to the rest of the world. We ask people to bear witness to the horrors that tens of thousands of innocent Iranians have experienced firsthand by “visiting” the Iran Prison Project in the metaverse. 

The experience is a digital interpretation of the prison, which includes verified testimonies from real people who have been imprisoned. The project uses interactive art and voice actors and original artwork from artists affected by Iranian prisons to convey harrowing stories and experiences. IDC believes that increased attention from Western audiences and the media on the treatment of political prisoners in Iran can pressure the Iranian government to release people from captivity and reduce death sentences.

“This project documents the living testimony of political prisoners. Our aim is to bring the horrors of Iranian prisons to the attention of Western leaders and media, so that collective pressure can be placed on the Iranian government to release prisoners and stop executions. We also believe that one day, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be held to account for their crimes against humanity. On that day, these stories and testimonies will be essential.” said the IDC.

Iranian Diaspora Collective is an organisation of visionary agents for social change who understand the power of social influence, storytelling, and youth-led activism as key tools for cultural revolution.  As members of the diaspora, they see their role as listening to and amplifying the voices of people inside Iran who want an end to this dictatorial regime and the establishment of a secular, democratic system of governance that respects women’s rights as human rights, freedom of movement and expression, and protects the environment and Iran’s resources. 

The IDC commented: “Women and girls across Iran have poured into the streets to protest the murder of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Jina (“Mahsa”) Amini by the morality police. These women have been joined by family and friends, men, and boys, and are leading the largest, most over-arching freedom movement Iran has ever seen. The government’s response is to suppress them by disappearing, murdering, and imprisoning protestors.  Almost 20,000 of these protestors have been sent to prisons since September.”

Grace Francis, global chief creative and design officer at WongDoody, went on to say: “The metaverse has yet to establish borders and boundaries—this makes it the ideal space for people who have been censored in traditional channels to have their stories told. 

While these testimonies are often difficult to experience, it is essential we don’t turn away. The more we look and the more we engage, the better chance we have of affecting change for those who are suffering torture and rape in prison.”

Visit The Iran Prison Project here.