Arrested for a Dot, Iranian Author Accused of Disrespecting the Leader

Hossein Shanbehzadeh, a prominent social media activist, editor, and translator, was arrested in Iran's Ardabil on Tuesday.

Hossein confirmed his arrest during a brief phone call with his family.

His brother, Abbas Shanbehzadeh, had previously expressed concerns on social media about failed attempts to contact Hossein and his unknown whereabouts.

The arrest came shortly after Hossein's account on social media platform X, previously Twitter, was disabled. 

Abbas noted, "He clearly did not publish the last tweet," suggesting potential interference with his brother's account.

Authorities have not officially disclosed the reason for Hossein's arrest, but many point to a recent interaction on X as the catalyst behind it.

The incident involves Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's account posting his photo with the national student volleyball team. Shanbezadeh replied to Khamenei's tweet with a single character: a period. 

This minimalist critique quickly went viral, with thousands of users reposting the exchange.

Many saw his punctuation as a bold statement, suggesting that even the slightest criticism – a mere dot – could rattle the government.

As news of Hossein's arrest spread, supporters flooded social media platforms, using the term "kidnapping" to describe his detention.