Family of Hossein Shanbehzadeh Concerned About Attributing 'Heavy Charges'; Hossein Ronaghi: This 'Dot' Will Remain a Headline Forever

The family of Hossein Shanbehzadeh, the detained editor, expressed concern over the attribution of heavy charges against him, stating that they are unaware of the agency detaining him and his place of custody. Shanbehzadeh was arrested after he placed a 'dot' in response to a point-less post by Ali Khamenei on the social media platform X. In a statement released by 'Shanbehzadeh's family' on Wednesday, June 6, it was mentioned that given his 'real identity' activities online, the 'heavy charges' against him are 'unjustifiable.' In recent hours, some government media, including the Tasnim News Agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on Shanbehzadeh's arrest, citing Jalaal Afaqei, the public prosecutor of Ardabil, claiming that he was 'in contact with high-ranking officers' of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, through one of the social media networks. According to these reports, the Ardabil prosecutor also claimed that Mr. Shanbehzadeh 'was collecting information for the Israeli intelligence service under the guise of editorial work from within the country.' These allegations were made a day after Shanbehzadeh's arrest, during which this civil activist has been denied access to a lawyer and contact with his family. Abbas Shanbehzadeh, in a statement released by his family, emphasized that this political prisoner lacks access to a defense lawyer and contact with family, stating that 'Hossein must enjoy the basic rights of a prisoner.' The Ardabil public prosecutor, referring to the news of Shanbehzadeh's arrest published in Persian-language media abroad, claimed that he had traveled to several provinces 'with the intention of hiding and ultimately leaving the country' and was arrested in Ardabil by the provincial intelligence office. This claim comes despite the fact that this well-known user had posted content and photos about his trip to Ardabil just hours before his arrest on social media. The family of Hossein Shanbehzadeh also stated that the claim of him fleeing is 'unjustifiable' and warned about the 'consequences of these heavy charges' attributed to this civil activist, asking for public assistance, saying: 'Please help our voice reach the ears of the compassionate.' On Tuesday, after hinting at the possibility of his brother's arrest, Abbas Shanbehzadeh wrote on social media: 'Hossein called. He has been arrested and says he will be back in two or three days.' Hossein Shanbehzadeh's arrest occurred after 'two suspicious tweets' along with an image of a 'conversation' from his account on X were published; content that his acquaintances said 'was most likely published by security agencies.' Additionally, it should be noted that this media activist's arrest followed his response to a point-less sentence published on Ali Khamenei's X account, where he placed a dot. This tweet was appreciated by users several times more than the leader of the Islamic Republic's post. Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist, reacted to Mr. Shanbehzadeh's arrest, stating that 'this dot will remain a headline forever,' adding that 'Hossein Shanbehzadeh was the voice of a part of society and expressed the ongoing sufferings in this land in his own way.' This former political prisoner emphasized that 'the absurdity of the false charges and the rumor of his arrest while leaving the country is ridiculous,' adding: 'His courage in narrating and his frankness in stating the truth are what Iranian society needs today.' Hossein Shanbehzadeh, who has been a political prisoner before, was active on social media X, where he not only addressed social and literary issues but also conducted polls that were criticized by users close to the Islamic Republic. Pressure on civil and political activists in Iran has increased in recent months. Previously, Pouran Nazemi, a human rights activist in Iran, told Voice of America about the increasing pressures from the Islamic Republic on claimants, prisoners, and political and civil activists, stating that the government has no intention of reform or retreat and that the security pressures currently imposed by the Islamic Republic on activists 'are more than in all these years' and 'it does not matter if you are an environmental activist, a civil activist, or a political activist.' The Iranian Writers' Association: Writers, journalists, and artists should be 'the echo of the voice of the oppressed people.' 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