Iran executes 'spies', widens espionage definition to include social media

India Today

3 days ago

Following days of conflict with Israel, Iran has turned its attention inward, intensifying a domestic crackdown framed as a response to foreign infiltration. The government has sharply widened its definition of espionage to include even basic social media activity, warning that following, liking, or commenting on accounts linked to Israel could now be treated as a criminal offence.On June 25, Iran executed three Kurdish men accused of collaborating with Mossad, just a day after passing a new law expanding the definition of espionage.advertisementThe legislation labels collaboration with "hostile governments" like Israel and the US as "corruption on Earth," punishable by death.
It also criminalises activities such as cyber warfare, weapons trafficking, and sharing content with foreign media, targeting activists and citizen journalists with harsh penalties.But now even social media have been added to the directives from the Justice Ministry of Iran.The Ministry issued a nationwide warning that merely following or interacting with social media accounts "affiliated with the Zionist regime" could be prosecuted as a criminal offence.In mass messages to citizens, the ministry threatened legal action against those who follow, like, or comment on such platforms.Over decades, Israel's spy agency has built an extensive espionage network in the Islamic Republic, the depth of which was on display in the recent Israeli offensive on June 13.advertisementJust as Israeli jets bombed Iran at will, precision weapons and armed drones smuggled into the country were used to shoot down Iranian anti-aircraft missiles from inside Iran.However, the Iranian regime uses its action against alleged spies as a cover to crack down on critics and dissidents.INTERNET CUT, FREEDOMS CURBED BY IRANIAN REGIMEDuring the war with Israel, the Iranian government cut off internet access nationwide, claiming that Israel was using the network for military advantage.According to local sources cited by The Guardian, only correspondents affiliated with state-approved foreign media were granted limited access.While domestic messaging apps remain functional, many young Iranians say they don't trust their security.State media also reported that the intelligence services uncovered a group allegedly trying to contact supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah.Among those arrested were civil rights activist and former political prisoner Hamid Dastvaneh and Feizollah Azarnoush, whose teenage son Pedram was killed by security forces during the 2022 protests.Further arrests were reported in Lorestan, Kermanshah and other provinces, where authorities claimed to have exposed "cyber activists supporting Israel."To enforce the crackdown, militia units have established inspection checkpoints at the entrances and exits of major cities, searching mobile phones for messages, images, or apps deemed subversive.ORDINARY CITIZENS AND ACTIVISTS LIVE UNDER FEARadvertisementThe clampdown has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and legal experts, who warn that the law's vague and expansive definitions could lead to the prosecution of ordinary citizens under charges of espionage."The definitions of espionage it provides are very broad," Hussein Raisi, a legal scholar at Carleton University told Iran Wire. "Classifying many of these cases as corruption on Earth is inappropriate from both Islamic and common law perspectives.""There's a great danger that this law will become a tool to prosecute ordinary people at the bottom of society, instead of dealing with actual agents with access to classified information," Raisi said.Activists fear the regime will use this moment to secure its grip through fear, as it did during the mass executions of the 1980s."We are being extremely cautious right now," said a Tehran-based activist who was jailed during the 2022 protests. "There's a real concern the regime might use this situation as a pretext. Dozens of people I know have already been summoned."As arrests rise and checkpoints multiply, human rights groups warn that even passive online behaviour-liking a post, following a page can now be a matter of life and death.- EndsTune InTrending Reel