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Features

Police Crackdown on Live Instagrams

June 26, 2020
Niloufar Rostami
6 min read
A day after Tehran's Public Security Police Chief threatened to monitor Instagram Live sessions held by Iranians, Vahid Khazaei, a popular Iranian Instagram personality and influencer, was arrested at
A day after Tehran's Public Security Police Chief threatened to monitor Instagram Live sessions held by Iranians, Vahid Khazaei, a popular Iranian Instagram personality and influencer, was arrested at
The Public Security chief announced that in addition to the monitoring carried out by Iran's Cyber Police, law enforcement would also assign additional police to monitoring Instagram.
The Public Security chief announced that in addition to the monitoring carried out by Iran's Cyber Police, law enforcement would also assign additional police to monitoring Instagram.

A day after Tehran's Public Security Police Chief threatened to monitor Instagram Live sessions held by Iranians, Vahid Khazaei, a popular Iranian Instagram personality and influencer, was arrested at Imam Khomeini Airport on June 24, 2020, as soon as he returned to Iran. The Young Journalists Club, a new agency affiliated with Iran’s official state broadcaster, reported that the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] had been responsible for the arrest.

The report accused Khazaei of “abusing girls,” “promoting the consumption of alcohol,” “setting up betting websites” and “promoting acts contrary to public decency online”.  

On June 23, 2020, the Public Security chief Ali Zolghadri announced that in addition to the monitoring carried out by Iran's Cyber Police [FATA], law enforcement would also assign additional police to monitor Instagram posts and Instagram Live videos.

Zolghadri said this extra surveillance would focus on various issues such as “criminals, thugs and gangsters,” “weapons smugglers and arms dealers” and “troublemakers and those who violate moral standards.” 

However, there is often an indefinite scope for what constitutes a “violation of moral standards” within Iranian law enforcement and judicial systems.

Zolghadri announced that the new law enforcement measures would also deal with individuals engaging in vulgar and inappropriate behavior and those who use obscene language on Instagram Live videos. But he did not provide any specific legal standards for determining what would be considered vulgar and inappropriate behavior.  

In the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak in Iran and as a result of the quarantine that was first introduced in March, Iranian citizens’ use of social media networks increased considerably, just as was true almost everywhere in the world. Recent months have seen live broadcasts of theatre performances, interviews and discussions about modern theatrical concepts, critiques of modern films, educational cookery videos about how to cook different varieties of lavash (a bread), taftoon bread and pastries, cosmetics tutorials, videos about cultivating flowers and gardening, yoga, and so on. Each of these live shows has its own specific audience and enthusiasts.  

Women in these examples have sometimes filmed themselves carrying out these various activities without wearing a hijab. Others have filmed themselves applying makeup in their own kitchen, office or backyard. According to information gathered by Journalism Is Not A Crime, IranWire's sister project, some of these individuals have received threatening phone calls from security forces over their appearance (because of wearing make-up or not wearing a hijab) while others have been mocked or derided for their videos.

One young woman who has live-streamed yoga lessons in Tehran spoke to Journalism Is Not A Crime about the issue, saying: “I have received numerous messages from strange phone numbers in which the senders accused me of violating public decency and inciting youths. The messages said that if I continued to film the live yoga lessons, there would be problems for me and my husband. I stopped the videos and used the end of quarantine as an excuse for doing so.”

According to the woman, she taught her yoga lessons on Instagram wearing sports pants, a sports top, with her hair tied back and with the camera in front of her. She said: “Well naturally, I don't practice yoga at home with my hijab on, and I didn't think anyone but yoga enthusiasts would want to watch me live stream yoga lessons. I don't know which of the yoga positions I taught were against public decency. Of course, I never knew who the messages were from, but I was scared. I want to avoid trouble in my life so I stopped the live streams.”

Similarly, an Iranian artist, who traveled to Europe for a project some months ago, told Journalism Is Not A Crime that she did not accept an invitation to participate in an Instagram Live video because she was worried about possible repercussions when she returned to Iran.

The artist said: “During the quarantine in Iran, many of my friends from Tehran contacted me and asked me to appear on an Instagram Live video, to talk to the audience about a topic related to my work. I really wanted to participate and share my experiences of working with children from Iran, but I was afraid that I would get into trouble. Of course, I would have worn a hijab during the live video but I was so scared of being questioned at the airport on my return to Iran that I didn’t accept the invitation.”

In his announcement on June 23, Ali Zolghadri also confirmed that some online activists had been under surveillance and that they had been summoned to face legal action.  

On June 22, Hassan Norouzi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also spoke out against Instagram in a public parliamentary session, saying: “God willing, Instagram will be filtered.” 

Likewise, Mohammad Qomi, the Head of Iran’s Islamic Propaganda Organization, also addressing parliament last week, called for a serious crackdown on Instagram, in particular referring to Amir Tataloo, a popular Iranian singer accused of grooming underage girls via Instagram.  

The Iranian government’s opposition to Instagram and its intimidation of Instagram users is not a new phenomenon and has not been limited to Instagram Live videos. There are numerous examples where posting photos or videos on Instagram has resulted in threats, courts summons and legal actions against Iranian citizens. 

Also, contrary to Zolghadri's statement, legal action does not only take place against groomers, thugs, gangsters and arms dealers who use Instagram, but also against any user whose words or videos that displease the Iranian government. 

Recently, Parasto Salehi, Anahita Hemmati, Arjang Amirfazli and Amir Mehdi Jouleh, who are all film and television actors, were interrogated and faced legal action because of their posts and activities on Instagram. Similarly, Seyed Ahmad Moin Shirazi, a former world kickboxing champion also known as "Picasso Moin," and his wife, were sentenced to prison for publishing videos and photos of their workouts and family life. 

Prior to Zolghadri’s announcements, on April 14, 2020, Touraj Kazemi, the Head of Tehran's Cyber Police Force, announced that the force would be monitoring Instagram Live videos and added that any user who used Instagram Live within the country would be monitored. He said: “Even if it is not possible for the police to monitor all the live broadcasts, other pages that repost the live broadcasts will be also reviewed by the police.” 

Ramin Pashaei, Deputy for Social Affairs of the Iranian Cyber Police, also said on April 12, 2020, that those who do not wear their hijab when they appear in online videos will be considered to be “violators” of moral standards. Pashaei also said it did not matter whether the individual in question had a popular following on social media or not.

Pashaei said: “There is no difference between crimes committed online and those committed in person, any act that disturbs the public opinion will result in definitive legal repercussions.” He went on to say that any previously undefined or uncertain action [shown on Instagram] could be legally prosecuted within the criminal definition of "disturbing the public opinion."

On May 9, 2020, Hossein Ashtari, Commander of Iran's Law Enforcement Force, also called the Internet a cause for concern and a possible means through which public order could be disturbed during the Covid-19 outbreak.  

For Islamic Republic officials in the country’s police forces and security institutions, Instagram is one of the top priorities for monitoring and surveillance. However, Instagram is used by hundreds of millions of young people around the world and its widespread use, especially during quarantines imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, has only increased. This trend does not bode well for officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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