Arrest of Three Individuals Related to Image of Israeli Soldiers on a Billboard in Shiraz

According to reports, following the use of an image of Israeli soldiers for a city billboard in Shiraz, the public relations manager of the cultural organization of Shiraz municipality and two individuals involved in the creation of this billboard were arrested. Ali Salehi, the prosecutor of Shiraz, announced on Friday, October 6, that the public relations manager, 'the entity responsible for direct oversight' of these advertisements, was arrested on Thursday evening. Mr. Salehi stated that on Friday, two individuals involved in the design of the billboard were also arrested. He emphasized that investigations 'will continue until the potential dimensions of the issue are clarified and the perpetrators will be dealt with according to the law.' Meanwhile, according to Fars News Agency, Mohammad Shahbani, the head of public relations for the cultural, social, and sports organization of Shiraz municipality, who was dismissed by the mayor of Shiraz following this incident, has been arrested by security agencies. Prior to the arrest of these three individuals, several members of the Hezbollah forces had removed the billboard, and officials in Shiraz demanded action against those involved in its design and installation. Based on a photo that was first published on social media on Wednesday evening, the urban advertising unit of the Shiraz municipality installed a billboard in Namazi Square of the city to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war, which instead of Iranian soldiers featured Israeli soldiers. In the original image, alongside three male Israeli soldiers, a female soldier was also standing, whose image was omitted from the mentioned billboard, and a poem by Ali Ma'lam Damghani praising the soldiers of the Iran-Iraq war was also visible on it. After the publication of this photo and the ensuing uproar, the mayor of Shiraz issued a letter to the head of the cultural, social, and sports organization of the municipality, ordering an investigation into the matter. Urban billboards in Iran, especially in Tehran, have occasionally sparked controversy. For instance, in 2013, banners were installed at most intersections and streets in Tehran, which were assessed as aimed at 'sabotaging' negotiations between Iran and the United States. These banners, named 'American Honesty,' contained the message that negotiating with the U.S. is futile because Americans 'lack honesty.'