Iran protests after closure of Ayatollah Khamenei's Facebook and Instagram accounts
Iran condemned this Saturday the blocking of the accounts of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the Facebook and Instagram platforms, calling it a violation of freedom of expression.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on February 28, 2024. AP
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With our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
Ayatollah Khamenei's Instagram account had five million followers around the world.
The Iranian Foreign Minister denounced what he called a "
violation of freedom of expression
", but also "
an insult to the millions of people who follow the positions " of the
Iranian
Supreme Leader
.
The decision to close these accounts by the social media giant Meta was taken in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip, while Iranian leaders increased messages denouncing Israel and supporting the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Applications blocked in Iran
Instagram and Facebook are among the most used apps in Iran, although both are blocked.
Many Iranians use VPNs to circumvent these bans and use Instagram in particular, but also Telegram for information or even for their work.
In addition to these platforms, Iran has also banned the social network X or Twitter.
Read alsoIn Iran, restrictions on access to social networks are increasing
Despite these bans, Iranian leaders widely use these social networks.
Likewise, several national platforms have been created in the country to replace Instagram, Telegram or Twitter, which remain widely used by Iranians.
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