Arrest of Several Dezful Citizens for Comments on Israeli Airstrikes
14-June-2025
Category: Freedom of Expression
14 June 2025
News Category: Freedom of Expression
Breathing in Confinement – Several citizens in Dezful were arrested solely for publishing videos and making comments on social media about the recent Israeli airstrikes.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, quoting Mehr News Agency, Dezful’s public prosecutor Mehdi Amadeh stated that “following the Israeli attack, several individuals who aimed to disrupt the public’s mental security by posting images and video clips on social media were identified and arrested.” No details were provided regarding the identity or number of those arrested, nor the specific content they shared.
Arresting individuals for expressing opinions or sharing content related to current events—especially under vague accusations like “disrupting public mental security”—is considered a violation of the right to freedom of expression under human rights law. According to international standards, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to express their views freely without fear of arrest.
In a related development, the Office of the Attorney General warned yesterday that posting material deemed “disruptive to the mental security of society” may result in punitive action and described such acts as part of “the enemy’s disruptive operations.”
Human rights organisations have repeatedly warned against the arbitrary and securitised interpretation of concepts like “mental security,” arguing that such usage paves the way for repression of fundamental freedoms and curtails open discourse within society.