Arrests, charges of espionage, surveillance of social networks … In Iran, war with Israel is feared increased repression

Thirty people were still arrested in the city of Hamedan, in western Iran, last week, announced, Friday, June 20, the chief of the provincial police, quoted by the Iranian agencies. All are accused of having links with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence services responsible for special external operations. But the detail is very vague. It is thus criticized at 14 of them for having “Testing to disturb public opinion by publishing messages on social networks”. Others wandered suspiciously near military centers, and some are accused of having deliberately lit fires. Four others were also arrested at the Mosque Souleiman, according to the Tehran police, again for suspicions of intelligence with the enemy.

From the capital Tehran to Saqqez, in Iranian Kurdistan, passing through the cities of Rey, Ispahan or the Lorestan province, announcements of this type have been daily since the start of Israeli bombings, on the night of Thursday, June 13. Iranian state agencies regularly broadcast images of handcuffed men with blurred face, while agents of the police are busy around mini-drones or electronic equipment. At least 223 people have already been arrested at this stage, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch, which relies on a count made from the official media.

The Iranian agency Mehr circulated videos of a taxi driver suspected of being a spy of Mossad on Thursday, inviting the population to compose 110, 113 or 114 to report other suspicious cases. The police, more broadly, encourage them to be wary of Nissan vehicles and old pick-ups, while part of the initial Israeli operation seems to have been prepared from Iranian territory. The leader of the Bassidjis volunteers, a branch of the revolution guards who have millions of members, called for “Identify the spies, traitors and mercenaries of the Zionist regime” By performing patrols and checks, according to a press release quoted by the Fars agency.

Impossible, in view of the context, to verify whether these arrests are based on tangible elements or to separate legitimate suspicions from possible paranoia, even an opportunistic movement of power to further stifle the protest votes. “All those who say they are against the regime, for democracy, freedom and gender equality-that is to say the demands of the movement ‘woman, life, freedom’-are today wrongly qualified as pro-Israelisestimates the Franco-Iranian sociologist Azadeh Kian. The war situation is also a pretext to better suppress them. This is also a reason why part of the imprisoned people attempts to clarify their positions by condemning Israeli bombardments. “

Now is the time to be very severity, when the country is directly attacked. “Prosecutors must cooperate with intelligence, security and military forces”estimated Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on Monday at the head of the Iranian judiciary, in remarks reported by the Mehr agency. “If someone is arrested because he had contacts and collaborated with the Zionist regime, he must be tried, punished and executed quickly.” A bill has been adopted in an emergency to increase the sentences imposed in cooperation affairs with Israel. In addition to cases of intelligence with the Hebrew state, “Any interaction with official, unofficial institutions and affiliated individuals” The enemy will be punished with the death penalty.

The NGO Iran Human Rights therefore fears, in a press release published Thursday, “An intensification of repression and executions in the coming days”. In 2024, at least 975 people were executed in Iran, according to a report published by two NGOs. A record number since the start of this census in 2008, which could further increase within the framework of the open conflict.

“The fear is that the regime takes advantage of this situation to execute political prisoners and intimidate civil society, already weakened by the war.”

Azadeh Kin, sociolog

in franceinfo

For obvious reasons, no criticism is openly expressed against the regime. At the start of the Israeli strikes, several inhabitants, however, chanted slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a document obtained by France Télévisions, by holding him responsible for bombing on Tehran. Many have the feeling of being caught in a vice. “We live in fear every day. I have the impression of walking on a road of ardent coals in acid rain”said a resident of the capital, in a text addressed to the Guardian. “We want to obtain our freedom according to our own conditions, not by American bombs.”

The authorities are on the lookout on all terrains. In total, 206 people have already been arrested for content published online or a suspicious activity, according to the NGO Hrana. “Some selfish users disrupt public space by supporting the actions of the Zionist regime and disseminating false news”commented the prosecutor of the city of Izeh, quoted Friday by the agency Mehr, after the arrest of three new people. At the beginning of the week, Internet users were encouraged to report questionable messages and accused sites to the authorities.

The Ministry of Communications, thereafter, practically cut internet access, officially fearing that Israel will exploit the network for military purposes. Iran was disconnected late Wednesday afternoon, according to data published by the Netblocks surveillance organization based in London. Only a handful of users in the country are still able to connect via reinforced VPNs, still according to this source, and 3% of Iranians were still linked to the global network on Friday morning. These communication difficulties still strengthen the feeling of isolation.

This anxiety-provoking context is still complicated by the queues at the service stations and the fear of bombing, which has pushed many inhabitants to flee Tehran. Messages regularly ask Iranians not to click on the links received by SMS, in particular those who seem to come from banks. It must be said that a group of Israeli hackers recently launched two large -scale operations against SEPAH bank and against Nobitex, the main Iranian cryptocurrency exchange platform.

The minorities are not immune. Afghan migrants, whose living conditions were already precarious in the country, have also been the subject of attacks on social networks. Several hundred of them have been accused, for example, of acting on behalf of Mossad, in underground galleries. “Many leave Iran, assure Azadeh Kian. In order not to stay under the bombs, on the one hand, and because they are the subject of threats and accusations on the part of the authorities and the population. “