Hossein Shanbehzadeh (Persian: حسین شنبه‌زاده) is an Iranian writer and activist. He was arrested in 2024 after tweeting a single period (".").

Hossein Shanbehzadeh
حسین شنبه‌زاده
NationalityIranian
Occupation(s)Writer, activist

Career

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Shanbezadeh at Persian Wikipedia 1 Million article milestone ceremony - 16 May 2024

Hossein has worked as a translator, literary editor and activist.[1][2] He has gained notoriety for his critical or satirical messages about the Iranian regime and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.[3][4] In 2019 he was arrested in relation with the 2019 Iranian protests, charged with “insulting the sanctities and the leader of the Islamic Republic.”,[2] He was imprisoned in Evin Prison and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released at the beginning of 2024, between March and April, before the end of his sentence.[3][5]

Arrest for a tweet

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On 4 June 2024, Hossein was arrested again a month after he tweeted a period (“.”) in response to Ali Khamenei, which garnered significantly more likes and impact than Khamenei's original post. The writer had previously also posted an exposé about the harsh practices in Evin Prison. Multiple users expressed outrage in response to the arrest.[1][2] Shanbehzadeh was accused by authorities of spying for Israel, a charge that could mean the death penalty. His whereabouts are unknown as of June 2024.[3][5][6][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Arrested for a Dot, Iranian Author Accused of Disrespecting the Leader". Iran Wire. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Iranian Security Detains Writer Blogger for a Dot". Iran International. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  3. ^ a b c Bronte, Trinidad Deiros (2024-06-05). "Acusado de espiar para Israel un activista detenido en Irán tras corregir un tuit del líder supremo". El País. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  4. ^ "Irán acusa de espiar para Israel a un editor que respondió en redes sociales a Jameneí". Swissinfo. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  5. ^ a b Carbajo, María (2024-06-06). "Detienen por presunto espionaje para Israel a un activista iraní tras corregir en público un tuit del ayatolá Jamenei". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  6. ^ "Irán arresta a bloguero acusado de espiar para Israel – Los informes diarios". The Daily Reports (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  7. ^ "Iran: Hossein Shanbehzadeh targeted as social media crackdown continues". ARTICLE 19. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
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