Iranian security forces have announced a breakthrough in their investigation into “insulting texts” about the leader of Iran’s Revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini.
The Mehr News Agency reports that Hossein Ashtari, the deputy head of Iran’s security forces, told reporters on Saturday: “We have discovered new leads to the sources of insult to sanctities and Imam [Khomeini] on the social network Viber, and the issue is now being discussed with the judiciary before its public exposure.”
In recent weeks, a large number of jokes regarding Ayatollah Khomeini have hit social networking sites and cellphones in Iran, including on Viber. Some have suggested that this might be a prelude to the government’s blocking of Viber.
The head of Iran’s security forces, Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam, said last Tuesday that “insulting” Ayatollah Khomeini on the internet is grounds for legal action.
