Following two deadly explosions during the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, the public’s reaction on social media varied. Some citizens condemned the incident, while others emphasized the Iranian government’s inability to ensure people’s safety, holding the regime responsible for the explosions in Kerman. Some even accused the government itself of orchestrating the bloody incident. In response, judicial and security agencies arrested dozens of citizens, shut down hundreds of social media accounts, and sealed off several businesses.
Immediately after the initial news of the explosion in Kerman, it became a top topic of discussion on Iranian social media. As criticism of the Islamic Republic grew, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, the country’s prosecutor, ordered the formation of legal cases and the arrest of protesters. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary, in a meeting with senior judicial officials, said, “Those who committed criminal acts in cyberspace and elsewhere, aligned with Israel, the U.S., and ISIS, and hurt the feelings of the believers, must be pursued.”
Within hours of the explosion in Kerman, an unprecedented wave of exposing anonymous social media users by pro-government users and quasi-media began, leading to widespread arrests by security forces.
While no official or comprehensive statistics on the number of arrests are available, reports confirm that at least 173 citizens were arrested for posting critical comments about the explosion during Soleimani’s memorial, at least 311 citizens were summoned by judicial and security authorities, at least 647 social media accounts were blocked, and at least 12 businesses were sealed.