2024-03-09 12:25:00
Iran on Saturday condemned as a violation of freedom of expression the blocking of the accounts of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The social media giant Meta confirmed in February that it had banned the Iranian supreme leader from Facebook and Instagram for having “repeatedly violated” its regulations on “dangerous organizations and individuals”.
Blocking these accounts “is not only a violation of freedom of expression”, but also “an insult to the millions of people who follow the positions” of the supreme leader, said Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. in a message addressed to the Middle East Eye news site and published on Saturday by the ministry.
The supreme leader, in power for almost 35 years, had five million followers on Instagram.
The closure of the accounts was taken in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip, while Iranian leaders are increasing messages denouncing Israel and supporting the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Ayatollah Khamenei “is the most prominent supporter of the oppressed people of Palestine, and the Silicon Valley empire cannot prevent this voice from reaching global public opinion,” Mr. Amir-Abdollahian said.
Instagram and Facebook are among the most used apps in Iran, although both are blocked.
Despite the ban imposed by the government, Iranian leaders have accounts on social networks, notably X (formerly Twitter).
Internet users access these platforms using “VPNs” (virtual private networks) which allow them to circumvent censorship.
1709995690
#Iran #denounces #closure #Khameneis #Facebook #Instagram #accounts
