Iran Warns Citizens Against Following Israeli Social Media Accounts

Iranian citizens reported receiving threatening text messages from the judiciary on the first day of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, warning them they could face prosecution for "following or joining pages affiliated with Israel."

The messages, sent by the "Social Deputy and Crime Prevention of the Judiciary," warned Iranians that their phone records had been monitored and that phone owners must "delete their supportive comments and likes from these pages and immediately leave them."

The judiciary added that citizens who ignore the warning would face prosecution under Article 8 of the "law against hostile actions of the Zionist regime."

The threats come despite the fact that following social media pages or joining news channels is not criminalized under existing Iranian law. No law in Iran criminalizes such activities.

The Dadban legal group said the purpose of sending these messages was to "create fear and terror and suppression," adding that the messages have "no judicial or legal value."

During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, many citizens were arrested for posting about events in their cities on social media.

State media also reported arrests of people accused of spying for Israel and the U.S.