Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
Since mid-September, major protests have broken out in Iran following the arrest and subsequent death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September. Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was arrested for allegedly not complying with the Islamic dress code in the country. Amini’s family and witnesses have reported that she was beaten by the police, while the police claim that Amini suffered a stroke in custody. An investigation into the suspicious death has been ordered by Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president.
Protests in Iran
Still, Amini’s death has sparked public outrage and months-long protests in several Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, under the slogan "Woman. Life. Freedom." Security forces have cracked down on these protests leading to the arrests and deaths of protestors. While the exact number of arrests and deaths remains unconfirmed, a mid-October count by BBC reported 45 deaths. In early November, the U.N. reported a figure of at least 277 deaths.
Throughout these protests, social media has been used to raise awareness of the protests and garner support for them. Activists, international non-profit organizations, and celebrities, as well as Iranians in and outside Iran, have used platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to bring attention to the protests.
Misinformation Targets Iran
Photo Description: Claims purport that 15,000 protestors were sentenced to death in Iran.
The importance of accuracy with regards to the protest in Iran was highlighted once again earlier this week, when a post falsely claiming that 15,000 protestors have been sentenced to death went viral. It was first shared by Newsweek, a U.S. magazine, and later by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Oscar-winner Viola Davis, Beyonce’s mother Tina Lawson, and Sophie Turner, among others. The Instagram post received almost 900,000 likes before its removal. Trudeau’s post was retweeted 6,000 times before its deletion. Davis's Instagram post garnered over 500,000 likes. Later, a spokesperson for the Canadian government told CNN that the tweet was deleted as it was “informed by initial reporting that was incomplete and lacked necessary context.” Instagram has since attached a “False information” label on the post.
Photo Description: Viola Davis’s reposting the misleading claim.
The 15,000 figure is believed to have emerged from a human rights organization based outside of Iran. The post itself seems to fuse various soundbites of information around the Iran protests. In early November, a U.N. official stated that according to some accounts over 14,000 people have been arrested. These numbers remain unverified and, according to CNN, some protestors may have been freed. The claim seems to also draw from reports declaring that 227 of 290 of Iran’s parliament members voted to take “decisive action” against protestors. However, it is reported that the death penalty had not been explicitly demanded.
Ultimately, such misinformation is an unfortunate distraction from the dangers and issues facing Iranians. Since the protests erupted, there have been several high-profile arrests and dozens of protestors have reportedly been killed. Furthermore, while 15,000 have not been given a death sentence, the first death sentence was handed to an anonymous person in relation to the protests on Sunday 13 November.
Meanwhile, over 1,000 charges have been issued in relation to the protests. These charges are preliminary and require approval by an appeals court. Still, the threat of protestors’ prosecution looms, and misinformation is a distraction that can be used to discredit protestors.
This is an ongoing situation with conditions changing daily. Vigilance is required with regards to sensationalist reports that may detract from threats facing protestors on the ground.
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