Family of Shanbehzadeh: The Attribution of Serious Charges to Him Raises Questions and Concerns

The family of Hossein Shanbehzadeh, an editor, translator, and social media activist, expressed concern on Wednesday, June 6, regarding reports about his arrest and the charges against him. The family's statement reads: "The serious charges against our beloved one are not justifiable considering Hossein's activities under his real identity in cyberspace." Hossein Shanbehzadeh was arrested on Tuesday in Ardabil. He had confirmed his arrest during a phone call with his family. One day after his arrest, the public prosecutor and revolutionary prosecutor of Ardabil announced, without naming him, the arrest of a "fugitive suspect wanted by the Ministry of Intelligence" and an "Israeli spy" in the city. Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the arrested suspect in Ardabil is Hossein Shanbehzadeh. In the family's statement on Wednesday, they stated: "We are primarily concerned about Hossein's health as we are unaware of the detaining authority and his place of detention." The family added: "He must first enjoy the basic rights of a prisoner. The attribution of serious charges to Hossein less than 24 hours after his arrest, without access to a lawyer and family, raises questions and concerns." The statement further noted: "The claim that Hossein has gone into hiding is also unjustifiable; he had spoken about his intention to travel to Ardabil on social media for a long time and even just hours before his arrest, he was discussing Ardabil and posting pictures of himself from there." The family's statement emphasized: "You know Hossein Shanbehzadeh; you are aware of the consequences of these heavy accusations." Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency published a photo of a tweet by Hossein Shanbehzadeh, stating that he has a history of insulting the Imams and sacred beliefs. In the tweet published by Tasnim, Hossein Shanbehzadeh discussed the coincidence of "21 Ramadan" and the "Sizdah Bedar" ceremony. In 2019, he was also tried and sentenced to imprisonment for his activities on social media and the charge of "insulting sacred beliefs and the leader of the Islamic Republic." He was active on the social media platform X under the pseudonym "Unicorn Editor" and edited significant literary works such as "Heritage, Death, and Life with Him" by Naguib Mahfouz.