Arrests and Threats Ramp Up in Iran After President Raisi's Death

Iranian authorities have intensified arrests of individuals criticizing Ebrahim Raisi following the helicopter crash that resulted in his death and that of his companions. 

Legal actions have unfolded rapidly, leading to the arrest of a restaurant operator in Qom province and the subsequent closure of his establishment. He was accused of "spreading lies and insulting the martyrs of service" online.

According to the public relations department of Qom province police, on Friday, the restaurant operator faced judicial action for "disseminating false information and making derogatory remarks about the fallen servicemen." 

He was promptly incarcerated following the issuance of a judicial mandate.

The helicopter crash on Sunday, which claimed the life of President Ebrahim Raisi among others, prompted judicial and security authorities, along with the police, to issue warnings that citizens' reactions to the incident were under close scrutiny.

IranWire has learned from media activists and journalists in Iran that security agencies have been disrupting their lives with threatening calls to prevent the republishing of news related to Ebrahim Raisi's death.

One journalist, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told IranWire, "When I didn't answer their calls, they contacted my uncle and brother, threatening that an arrest warrant had been issued for me and that if I did not delete my stories and posts, they would come to arrest me."