Disinformation on Iran: A Critical Look at Recent Claims
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Chapter 1: The Viral Misinformation
In recent weeks, social media has been inundated with claims alleging that Iran is poised to execute 15,000 protesters. This narrative has been propagated by a multitude of social media personalities, celebrities such as Viola Davis, and even prominent politicians, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. Representative Ted Lieu.
The most astonishing aspect of this situation is how readily individuals accept such sensational claims, particularly when they pertain to an "Evil Enemy Regime X."
The first time I encountered this widely circulated post was when my sister forwarded a screenshot from an influencer late on Sunday the 13th. She often seeks my opinion on political matters and wanted to know if I found the story credible.
I must admit, I was rather proud of my reply. Although it was my first exposure to the allegation, it struck me as clearly untrue. Due to time constraints, I couldn't delve deeper into the claim, but I conveyed via voice message that I hadn’t seen any evidence supporting it. I speculated that while a significant number of arrests had occurred during the recent protests, perhaps some unfortunate individuals were facing trials where the maximum sentence could be death, and these facts may have been exaggerated into the alarming headline making the rounds.
The following morning, I noticed many people I follow on social media sharing the same post. A few days later, it became evident that the claims were entirely unfounded, prompting politicians to delete their tweets and issue apologies for sharing this misinformation without skepticism.
The viral nature of such erroneous information has even led mainstream Western media to cover the incident.
“In a world driven by social media, it’s easy to see how misinformation can spread rapidly and uncontrollably.”
Section 1.1: The Origin of the Claims
The initial source of this misleading information appears to be a Newsweek article that originally bore the title, “Iran Votes to Execute Protesters, Says Rebels Need ‘Hard Lesson.’” This article morphed into an infographic that circulated widely on social media, especially on Instagram, reportedly garnering over a million views.
Newsweek has since revised the article multiple times, and the current note at the bottom states, “Correction 11/15/22, 11:55 a.m. ET: This article and headline were updated to remove the reference to the Iranian Parliament voting for death sentences. A majority of the parliament supported a letter to the judiciary calling for harsh punishments of protesters, which could include the death penalty.” It is crucial to clarify that there was no parliamentary vote to execute individuals, as the Iranian parliament does not issue sentences in trials. Yet, somehow, Newsweek published that misleading headline, which is frankly absurd.
The most notable figure to propagate this falsehood was Justin Trudeau, who tweeted, “Canada denounces the Iranian regime’s barbaric decision to impose the death penalty on nearly 15,000 protestors. These brave Iranians were fighting for their human rights — and we continue to stand united in support of them, and united against the regime’s heinous actions.”
It is astonishing that the prime minister of a country would uncritically share such blatant misinformation. If I could discern the inaccuracies, how could he not?
Trudeau's office later issued a statement acknowledging, “The post was informed by initial reporting that was incomplete and lacked necessary context. Because of that, it has since been deleted.”
The fallout from this misinformation prompted mainstream news outlets to address the matter. CNN reported on Trudeau's errors, while NBC published an article titled, “False claim about Iran protester executions goes viral with help from celebrities and politicians.” The article indicated, “There has been no evidence that 15,000 protesters have been sentenced to death. Two protesters had been sentenced to death as of Tuesday, although they can appeal, according to state news agencies.”
It seems that my initial skepticism was well-founded. Reporting on mass arrests, with some protesters facing charges that could result in the death penalty, was conflated into a viral misinformation campaign that generated calls for action against Iran.
However, the true number of arrests remains uncertain, as acquiring accurate information about the situation in Iran is incredibly challenging. This ambiguity should not lead individuals to accept every claim at face value.
“Maintaining a critical lens when assessing news, particularly regarding international events, is essential.”
Subsection 1.1.1: The Role of Human Rights Activists
Caitlin Johnstone highlighted The Cradle’s fact-check of the claim, which noted, “Further muddying the waters, the figure of 15,000 protesters detained by Iranian authorities originates from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)… US-based HRANA is the media arm of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), a group that receives funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — a CIA soft power front that has for decades funded regime-change efforts across the globe.”
For those familiar with geopolitics, the NED is recognized as a U.S. government-funded organization that has historically engaged in covert operations.
Section 1.2: The Broader Implications
This analysis is not meant to absolve the Iranian government of its responsibilities. Reports indicate that a majority of parliament members did sign a letter advocating for harsh measures against protesters to deter future dissent.
While Iran faces significant challenges concerning basic freedoms, the narrative of mass executions is far from reality.
Western media's portrayal of these claims not only misrepresents the truth but also serves as a form of pro-war propaganda.
The term ‘human rights concerns’ has been weaponized similarly to the pretext of WMDs to justify military intervention and the destruction of non-compliant governments.
The danger arises when individuals utilize these exaggerated claims to advocate for Western intervention. Our ingrained animosity toward certain geopolitical foes leads us to accept nearly any narrative about these nations.
While the U.S. engages in military actions that harm civilians globally, many in the West readily believe allegations of genocide and other extreme claims about countries like Iran.
This misinformation creates a public consent for government actions, whether sanctions or military intervention, which ultimately harms the very populations purportedly being defended.
Chapter 2: The Consequences of Misinformation
In the video titled, "Iranian American influencer bashes regime: 'This was not an unprovoked attack' | Cuomo," the discussion delves into the context behind the recent unrest in Iran and critiques the oversimplified narratives propagated by media and influencers.
Another essential perspective is captured in the video "Voices of women inside and outside Iran on the uprising after Mahsa Amini's death," which highlights the diverse experiences and viewpoints of Iranian women in the ongoing protests, emphasizing the need for nuanced understanding beyond sensational headlines.