Journalists, activists forced to delete posts in digital dissent crackdown

Iranian authorities have intensified a crackdown on journalists and political activists by forcing them to erase social media posts and coerce them into publishing favorable content, sources told Iran International.

The moves come after a wave of SIM card disconnections and summonses ordered by security agencies followed by interrogations targeted activists and journalists.

According to information received by Iran International, the individuals were coerced by security agents and prosecutors, particularly at Evin Prosecutor's Office, to delete their social media posts and share content they did not agree with.

At least three people, including a journalist and two women’s rights activists whose identities are being protected by Iran International for safety reasons, have faced charges related to their online activities.

These charges include - per official legal language - propaganda against the regime, spreading false information to disturb public opinion, and defaming regime officials with the intent to weaken the Islamic Republic. They have appeared in court and presented a defense.

In similar cases, criminal charges had been filed against several unnamed individuals after their social media activities were monitored, the Mizan News Agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary reported on Oct. 4.

Citing the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office, Mizan said these individuals were spreading false news and "creating fear to undermine the public's psychological security."

One case involved Iranian journalist Sadaf Fatemi, who on October 9 erased all her posts from X and Instagram, replacing them with an image stating, "Access to the website you are trying to reach is not possible."

Fatemi had shared on September 24 that new restrictions had been imposed on her by security agencies, including the unexplained disconnection of her SIM card.

Mehdi Amirpour, a sports journalist and Fatemi’s husband, condemned the incident as a new method of suppressing journalists. He revealed on his X account that after about a month without a functioning SIM card, Fatemi was "forced to delete all her Twitter and Instagram posts" and replace them with a state-ordered post.

On October 9, Motahareh Goonehi, a student activist was also arrested and transferred to prison for her posts on social media allegedly “regarding Iran’s recent military actions,” according to, the US-based rights group, Human Rights Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) citing Mizan.

Last month, Iran International reported that several journalists and political activists in Iran had experienced similar SIM card disconnections on orders from security agencies.

Tehran-based human rights lawyer Payam Derafshan, speaking to Shargh newspaper also noted that such restrictions had been imposed in similar cases in the past.

The crackdown comes despite criticism from international human rights organizations which continue to condemn Iran for violating freedom of speech and targeting journalists.

This year alone, the Islamic Republic has arbitrarily prosecuted at least 91 journalists, media activists and outlets, as indicated by the latest report from the Defending Free Flow of Information (DeFFI).