Case Filed Against Over 200 Individuals in Isfahan in Response to Their Reactions to the Death of Ebrahim Raisi

In continuation of the Islamic Republic's crackdown on Iranian citizens regarding their reactions to the death of Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan announced the filing of cases against more than 200 citizens. Mohammad Mousavian, the Revolutionary Prosecutor of Isfahan, announced on Wednesday, June 13, that cases have been formed against over 200 individuals who allegedly engaged in 'spreading false news and insulting content' on social media regarding the victims of Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash. This judicial official accused these individuals of 'producing, disseminating, and republishing false content on social media' and announced a 'decisive judicial response' to them as 'disturbers of the psychological security of society.' Following the helicopter crash and the death of Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, many Iranians both inside and outside the country expressed joy and shared their sometimes humorous comments about it on social media. The security and judicial officials of the Islamic Republic have accused these individuals of 'disturbing public opinion' and 'disrupting the psychological security of society,' and have summoned, threatened, or blocked their bank accounts. Reports indicate that hundreds of people in provinces such as Kerman, Mazandaran, Bushehr, Gilan, Alborz, and Golestan have faced punitive actions in this regard. Recently, the prosecutor of Kerman announced the identification and action against 288 social media users as 'insulters and disruptors of the psychological security of society.' The Iranian Writers' Association, in a statement on Wednesday, June 6, emphasized the right to freedom of expression 'without any restrictions or exceptions for everyone,' supported women's demands, and condemned the government's suppression of freedom of expression. Amnesty International also stated in its 2023 report that the Islamic Republic has increasingly restricted the freedom of expression of the Iranian people over the past year and intensified the suppression of women, torture, and executions. The reactions to the news of Raisi's death continue; 14 administrators of social media pages in Bushehr have been summoned, and seven social media users in Fuman have been arrested due to their reactions to Ebrahim Raisi's death. The government's pressure for public mourning has led to mandatory business closures to participate in the 'mourning' for Raisi. The security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic continue their crackdown on the public's reactions to Raisi's death.