The families of imprisoned Iranian protesters say the country’s rulers have offered a cruel bargain: publicly celebrate the Islamic Revolution that brought them to power or risk the lives of their loved ones.

Human rights groups say more than 12,000 Iranians have been arrested amid the wave anti-regime protests which swept the country in early January.

Bazdasht Shodegan is an organization founded by former Iranian prisoners that offers online support for prisoners and their families. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence are said to have contacted the families of some of the prisoners offering what the group called an “inhumane dilemma” — either attend Wednesday’s marches to mark the 47th anniversary of the revolution or put their children’s lives at risk.

Several other human rights groups monitoring events in Iran have also reported messages delivered to families of prisoners.

Holding families for ransom in this way is nothing new. The Iranian regime has a long history of putting pressure on families anti-regime dissidents and demonstrators.

“On the one hand, the prisoner is forced to confess under brutal torture,” says Bazdasht Shodegan. “On the other hand, his family is forced to pretend to support the regime. This is a complete cycle of mental and physical torture.”

Families we contacted recently were told that if they want their children — many of whom face long prison terms or even the death penalty — to be freed or spared the harshest punishments, they must join pro-regime, state-organized revolutionary celebrations to publicly prove their loyalty.

To add insult to injury, they were ordered to record videos showing “loyalty” to the regime and send them to the security services.

These videos, along with statements by celebrities denying their support for the January protests, are trophies for the regime – tools of humiliation and intimidation designed to prevent future dissent.

One such figure is businessman Mohamed Saedinia.

In Iran, he is known as the owner of a chain of pastry shops and busy cafes that are loved by young liberals in Tehran. At the beginning of the uprising, Saedinia closed his shops and posted a message on social media saying he stood in solidarity with other Iranians who closed their businesses to express their anger at the catastrophic fall in the Iranian currency.

Saedinia was subsequently arrested together with his son and accused of supporting “rioters”. Iranian authorities have warned that the regime will confiscate his assets if he is convicted.

This week, Fars, Iran’s semi-official pro-regime news service, announced Saedinia’s turnaround.

“Unfortunately, due to the problems that happened in the market,” said a statement attributed to Saedini, “my son mistakenly closed our stores in line with (the actions of other Tehran companies). Both he and I realize our mistake.”

“Therefore … we apologize to the dear people of Iran and will show our obedience to our beloved leader and our disgust for criminal America by participating in the march to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution.”

No one in Iran may believe it, but everyone will get the message.