Mohammad Ali Vakili, a member of Parliament and the managing director of the newspaper 'Ebtekar', called on Friday for the identification and action against those responsible for sending threatening messages to political and media activists in Iran. Mr. Vakili, on Friday, July 2, in an interview with the Borna news agency, urged the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic to identify the source of these messages through the Central Council of Cyberspace. According to this member of Parliament, if these messages were sent 'independently' by an individual or individuals, it would be considered a 'warning bell' for the media community. He added that if the source of these messages was 'governmental' and 'security-related', the Ministry of Culture should have been informed 'through an official notice'. Mr. Vakili further described the sending of these messages as a sign of 'legal chaos' and stated: 'It must be pursued seriously and legally to determine whether this message had a judicial order or not. Was it personal or security-related?' The managing director of the newspaper 'Ebtekar' added that if the source of this message was 'personal', actions should be taken to arrest the offender, and if it was from a security authority, specific reasons should be provided. The day before, 700 civil, media, and political activists in Iran received a 'threatening' SMS asking them to cut ties with 'anti-regime elements abroad'. These threatening messages were sent from 'four personal phone numbers', one of which has an account on the 'Imo' application. The 'Zeyton' website also reported that some institutions affiliated with Hassan Rouhani's government claimed ignorance about the sending of such a message. According to this website, 'this is the first time' that a message of this kind has been sent from 'personal phone numbers', whereas previously such messages were sent from an 'SMS center'. Security, judicial, police, and governmental officials of the Islamic Republic have not yet provided any explanation regarding the source and reason for sending these messages.
Member of Parliament: Ministry of Culture Should Identify Source of Threatening Messages
Mohammad Ali Vakili, a member of the Iranian Parliament, has called for the identification of those behind threatening messages sent to political and media activists. The messages, which demanded the recipients cut ties with anti-regime elements abroad, have raised concerns about their origin, whether personal or state-sponsored. This incident highlights ongoing tensions within Iranian society and the potential for increased repression against dissent.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Mohammad Ali Vakili has called for an investigation into threatening messages sent to political and media activists in Iran. These messages urged recipients to sever ties with anti-regime elements and raised concerns about whether they originated from individuals or state security agencies.
- 700 activists received threatening SMS messages asking them to cut ties with anti-regime elements.
- The messages were sent from personal phone numbers, which is unusual compared to previous threats sent from official SMS centers.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a complex political landscape where dissent is often met with repression. Activists and journalists face significant risks, especially when challenging the government.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%