Dozens Arrested in Qazvin on Charges of Virtual Activities in Modeling

The prosecutor of Qazvin has reported the arrest of dozens of individuals in the province on charges of disseminating 'vulgar content' in the field of 'modeling.' According to a report on Saturday, February 21, by the 'Mizan' news agency, Ismail Sadighi Niyarki stated that these individuals were arrested following 'extensive intelligence operations and monitoring of cyberspace.' Mr. Sadighi Niyarki did not specify the exact timing or number of those arrested but mentioned that their arrests were conducted under his orders. He also added that 'the negligence of agencies in cyberspace and the contamination of this space with various crimes is unacceptable.' The prosecutor of Qazvin further stated that 'responsible agencies must increase their oversight to prevent abuse in this space and minimize it as much as possible.' The judiciary and the executive branch have had disagreements for years over how to deal with social media networks and their users. Government officials have repeatedly stated that they do not believe in filtering these networks and advocate for the implementation of a 'smart filtering' plan. Judicial officials have also called for stricter measures in this regard, and in recent years, in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dozens of social media users in Iran have been arrested. In the latest arrests, as reported by 'Young Journalists Club,' the IRGC in West Azerbaijan Province has acted against 68 managers of 'vulgar modeling social networks.' This website, affiliated with state media, reported on Thursday that the IRGC intelligence in West Azerbaijan identified and acted against 68 individuals who had 'fallen into the trap of foreign elements and cultural infiltration projects.' The social media platforms where these individuals operated were identified as 'Instagram' and 'Telegram,' and their fields of activity included 'modeling, women's beauty salons, studios, and tattooing.' The popularity and prevalence of social media, especially Telegram, have increased pressure from government and conservative institutions to filter them, while numerous arrests in cyberspace also occurred in 1395 (2016-2017).