The commander of the Greater Tehran Police announced the arrest of 'three individuals' in the city who, according to him, spread rumors of 'hostage-taking in the Iran Mobile Market' and 'bombings at two locations in Tehran' on mobile social networks. He did not mention the identity or details of the arrested individuals. According to Fars News Agency, Hossein Sajjadi-Nia, the police chief of Tehran, said on Wednesday, December 4, that the images used in these 'false news' were related to maneuvers conducted by 'NoPo' police officers during the police week. This police official stated that the purpose of these individuals in 'spreading rumors' was that 'the accused attempted to disrupt the psychological security of society by misusing these images.' Reports indicate that on Sunday, December 1, less than two weeks after the Paris terrorist attacks, messages were widely disseminated on Telegram and other Persian mobile social networks claiming that '27 people were killed' in a 'hostage situation in the Iran Mobile Market' and also 'bombings at two locations in Tehran.' On the same day, the Tehran police information center announced that 'no hostage situation' occurred in the Iran Mobile Market and that these news reports were 'fundamentally false.' The newspaper Etemad also referred to this rumor in its Tuesday edition, stating that several rumors had been circulated on mobile social networks in recent months, none of which were true. This newspaper mentioned rumors such as 'the death of Babak Mohammadi, Iran's bodybuilding champion,' 'the collapse of Sadr Bridge,' 'the death of Ali Daei and Ali Zia in the Mina incident,' 'the death of Ali Ansarian, a former Persepolis footballer,' and 'ISIS's plan to infect people with AIDS' as examples of rumors circulated in recent months on mobile social networks. The spread of these rumors on Telegram comes at a time when the issue of filtering this messaging app has been on the agenda of the working group for determining internet crimes in Iran in recent weeks. Ultimately, this working group warned the Ministry of Communications on Wednesday, November 27, that if Telegram does not take 'necessary' actions to remove 'criminal content' and content contrary to 'Islamic Republic regulations' within a 'limited time,' it will be filtered.
Factors Behind the Spread of 'False Rumors' in Tehran Arrested
Three individuals were arrested in Tehran for spreading false rumors about hostage-taking and bombings, which were aimed at disrupting public security. The police clarified that these rumors were entirely false and linked to a recent police exercise. This incident highlights ongoing concerns about misinformation in Iranian society and the government's response to it.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Three individuals were arrested in Tehran for spreading false rumors about hostage-taking and bombings, which were aimed at disrupting public security. The police clarified that these rumors were entirely false and linked to a recent police exercise.
- The rumors involved false claims of hostage-taking and bombings.
- The images used were from a police exercise, not real events.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has been grappling with the spread of misinformation on social media, which poses challenges to public security and government control.
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Translation confidence: 85%