The Pahlavi government, after the coup of 28 Mordad, employed numerous and at times innovative tactics in order to neutralize the anti-security activities of its opponents. Whereas during the reign of Reza Shah, the policy of co-opting and assimilating opponents — including through the writing of letters of repentance — did not hold significant relevance, After the coup of 28 Mordad (August 19, 1953), this method became one of the regime’s most important strategies for transforming opponents from a position of opposition into supporters of the system—or at least into neutral forces. The main question of the article is what mechanisms the Pahlavi government employed to obtain and disseminate letters of repentance from its opponents. And what impact did this process have on the formation and redefinition of their political identity? The research hypothesis is that the government, by utilizing mass media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, brought the process of repentance into the public sphere and, through media representation, transformed former opponents into harmless, neutral, or even regime-affiliated elements within the political system. The findings of the article indicate that those who expressed repentance can be classified into three distinct categories:

First, repentance as a political tactic, aimed at securing release from prison and continuing the struggle in other forms; Second, repentance as a process of assimilation and transformation, whereby a political activist becomes an isolated and “politically castrated” individual who withdraws from political engagement. Third, the repentant individuals who emerged as ideologues of the political system; this group not only became integrated into the structures of power, but also turned into active propagandists, ardent defenders, and at times even theoreticians of the ruling establishment.