The head of the Cyber Police, Shahin Hasanvand, stated that a citizen residing in western Tehran was arrested for 'insulting the sanctity of the martyrs of service on social media.' On Saturday, June 5, he mentioned that this individual's Instagram page has 'six thousand followers' and that after deleting the criminal content, expressing regret, and posting an apology story to the families of the martyrs, he was handed over to the judicial authority for legal proceedings. Officials of the Islamic Republic and affiliated media refer to Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, who died in a helicopter crash, as 'martyrs of service.' Following the death of the Iranian president, security and judicial bodies have acted against some citizens and media activists who published content regarding this on social media. In this context, the human rights news agency HRANA reported that Mohammad Ardeshir Khamoushi, a citizen from Bakharz County in Razavi Khorasan Province, was summoned to the county's intelligence office on Wednesday, June 2. Additionally, the ISNA news agency called on 'relevant and responsible agencies' to take action against Zeynab Mousavi, an Instagram activist known as 'Emperor of Cusco.' The news agency stated that Ms. Mousavi previously had a record of 'character assassination of the president' and that she 'went further this time by publishing a clip on her personal page in a very vulgar tone' recalling Mr. Raisi's presidency. Earlier, Reza Babernajad, the brother of the bereaved Mehdi Babernajad, one of the victims of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, was arrested on Tuesday, May 23, due to his reaction to Ebrahim Raisi's death. Furthermore, the Kerman Province Judiciary announced three days ago that '254 individuals' received 'telephone warnings and guidance' for publishing 'insulting' content in collaboration with the IRGC Intelligence Organization, and judicial summonses were issued for eight others. After the news of the disappearance of the helicopter carrying the president and former foreign minister of Iran and their entourage on May 30, Persian-language social media was filled with messages in the form of jokes praying for their death.
Continued 'Summoning, Threatening, and Arresting' Due to Reactions to the Death of Raisi on Social Media
The Iranian Cyber Police have arrested individuals for insulting the deceased President Ebrahim Raisi on social media. This crackdown follows Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, with authorities targeting citizens and activists who reacted negatively online. The situation highlights ongoing repression in Iran amidst public dissent.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Iranian authorities arrested citizens for social media reactions to Raisi's death.
- Cyber Police arrest citizen in western Tehran
- intelligence office summon Mohammad Ardeshir Khamoushi
- security bodies arrest Reza Babernajad
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iranian authorities are intensifying their crackdown on social media dissent following Raisi's death.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%